Seeing Isn't Believing
by Q-A the Authoress
Summary: [Tooth] giggled casually. "There's no man living in the Sun. That would be silly." Bridget frowned and deadpanned, "And a dude living inside the moon is totally realistic?" "It is in our world," Jack replied with a lopsided grin. Can a blind teenaged believer really be the help the Guardians need to fight an ancient force older than MiM itself? ...Nah!
1. Getting Hit on by Jack Frost

**Q-A: **For someone like me who has lots of time on her hands but I can be rather lazy. I do warn you in advance that my updating can be very slow, especially since school for me will be starting on the 8th. So I won't get much time to be working on this. All and all, I hope you wonderful RotG fans can give this story a chance. So without further ado let's get started with the first chapter.

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_~Getting __**Hit**__ on by Jack Frost~_

If there was one thing that the newly appointed Guardian of Fun loved about Burgess in winter was that it was in winter. Jack Frost couldn't believe that Thanksgiving was finally over and that he was allowed to spread his cold, wintery goodness once more. He was 'allowed' because the Turkey of Thanksgiving had not apparently forgave him for the last blizzard from a year ago. The last thing Jack wanted to do was to piss off **another** talking animal of a national holiday.

The winter spirit was flying with the help of his wind and brought thousands of little flurries through the air. He made most of the northeast coast frozen by early noon. A rather good accomplishment if he thought so himself. The welcome sign for Burgess could be seen from his view and Jack began to work his magic.

In a matter of seconds the autumn covered Pennsylvanian town was bombarded with strong winds and snowflakes. Jack smiled when he saw kids flooding out of the schools and heading towards the town park.

"_Better get there and make plenty of ammo for 'em." _Jack thought playfully as he ordered his wind to get to fly lower.

When he spied a few grumbling adults he used his crook to swipe a tree branch and icy slush fell on them. Hey, if they didn't enjoy his work then why did they bother staying outside?

Jack flew low to the ground as he headed towards the park, of course he didn't worry about many kids seeing him. It was less than eight months ago that he finally got his first handful of believers, so the odds of any more children seeing him were-BLAM!

Immediately Jack was slammed into the ground and nearly dropped his staff. Pain passed through Jack's body as he tried getting up and winced slightly. He rubbed his through his white hair to inspect any possible lumps. When he heard a groan the winter spirit opened his blue eyes to see a person in front of him.

A teenage girl to be precise, well at least from the back she looked like a girl. She too (Jack finally decided to dub the person as female) was on the ground while sitting on her bottom. The girl's hair was in a long red braid that reached her mid-back. When her head turned he could see that her skin was rather pale with slight pink cheeks that Jack assumed was from the cold. Her eyes were a very unusual gray that almost appeared steely or some other metal Jack couldn't think of at that. Moment.

While smiling sheepishly Jack said to him and somewhat to her, "Hey, I guess I'm sorry for…uh…_running _into you like that. But then again you can't even see-" "Look, could you just help me out here please?" The girl asked, not noticing his shocked expression. "I lost my cane and-"

"Wait," Jack staggered slightly. He raised his hand before asking, "Can-can you hear me?"

"Yes," the red head said.

"And you can see me?" If it were a yes then she'd be the first teen-"No," she answered with a slightly bitter tone.

And now his dreamland fantasy shattered completely. "What?"

"I can't see you, pal. I'm blind." She waved her hand over her face to prove her point.

Well now Jack was royally screwed.

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**Q-A: **Yeah that was pretty short, but this is sort of a teaser and will fill up more later on I swear. This is bit of a trial chapter too just to see how far it goes and if anyone is interested in it. Maybe I might even work on tomorrow. Until then,

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	2. Lead the way Frosty

**Q-A: **Here's chapter 2. =D This is where we get to see a few more familiar characters in the story.

I forgot to put it here but disclaimer: I don't own any properties of Rise of the Guardians or any or William Joyce's other properties. My O.C. though all MINE! Well except until later on. Maybe.

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_~Lead the way Frosty~_

"So let me get this straight. You can't see but you can hear and touch me just fine?" Jack asked while leaning on his staff slightly.

The redhead rolled her eyes and answered, "Yes, I can hear you just fine. As for touching I wouldn't know yet because you haven't helped me up yet."

The frost spirit rubbed the back of his head and muttered, "Sorry." He took her offered hand and pulled her without much effort.

"_A little on the thin side she is," _Jack noted as he stared at her a bit. She was rather thin and petit with being a head shorter than him. She wore blue and yellow sneakers that were slightly covered by some dark green pants. She had a brown coat on with gray swirly stars patterns and with the sleeves and hood having some sort of white fluff coming out. Whether that was an old jacket or an intentional fabrication Jack really had no clue.

"Thanks," she said with a grateful tone. She smiled slightly showing a row of pearly whites.

"You're welcome." Jack smiled noticing her teeth. _"Good thing Tooth's not here to see those." _He immediately brushed that thought away when he realized how silly it sounded.

The girl pulled on her left arm nervously before asking, "Um, listen I know you must be in a hurry, seeing how rammed into me-" "I'm REALLY sorry about that." Jack interrupted.

The girl raised her hand to silence him. "Yes and I forgive you but what I am trying to say is that can you help find my long cane."

Jack tilted his head in confusion. "Your what?"

"My long cane. I use it to walk with. It's white with blue tape on the end. And it's about this high." She gestured up to her chest to describe its height better.

Jack scanned around the surrounding area and quickly noticed something long and white on the road. Grinning widely Jack exclaimed, "Hey I think I found your-" Too late, a huge_ FX4 _truck drove by and ran over the cane. It broke on impact into tiny pieces.

The optimistic look on the girl melted into a not amused expression and deadpanned, "That large cracking sound was my cane breaking wasn't it?"

Awkward silence.

"And you not saying anything must be A) You are beyond speechless about what just happened. B) You left. C) All of the above."

"A," Jack answered while face palming himself. The redhead sighed. "I see. Well life sucks like that I guess." She chuckled dryly. "At least I'm near the park right? Maybe if I holler loud enough-" "Bridget!"

Both of the two turned around fast toward the voice and with both of them having pleased looks. Passing through trees and down a snowy path was a boy who looked no older than nine. With unkempt brown hair and eyes to match Jamie Bennett grinned when he saw his two favorite people down the hill. He gave Jack a wave to and shouted toward redheaded Bridget a second time.

"Hey Jamie," both teens said simultaneously. Bridget felt a little weirded out by what had just happened while Jack thought that his day couldn't possibly get any stranger.

"Hi Bridget," Jamie smiled at her. Jack gave him a look as if to say 'Where's my hello?'

Jamie returned the look with another speaking 'Not now.'

"So they let you out of school too huh?"

The boy nodded to the girl. "Yeah and our school got the most snow from what the radio said."

"Gee, I wonder how that could've happened," Bridget innocently asked as her eyes quickly glanced toward Jack's direction for a millisecond. He merely smirked smugly in return sadly remembering she couldn't really see it.

"Well either way I'm glad," Bridget spoke directly to Jamie with a sincere smile. "Cuz that means I get to spend more time with you instead of those fuddy-duddy teachers." She ruffled his hair causing him to laugh slightly.

Jack found the whole exchange between the mortals quite sweet and almost reminded him of him and his little sister. Almost.

Bridget scrunched her face and said, "Hold on. Where's your hat Jamie?" She went down to her left side where a backpack that Jack didn't notice until know and tried to fish something out. The redhead poked her arm through it until she grinned and pulled a hat out in triumph. It was a blue woolen hat knitted with fine stitching. "Don't you know it's freezing out here?" She offered the hat toward Jamie before adding; "The last thing we want is Jack Frost nipping at your nose now."

Jack groaned in annoyance when he heard that. "Seriously? Do you any idea how much that expression annoys me. I mean come on how many times do I actually go to people and nip at their faces? What does 'nipping' even mean? It that English?"

Hearing Jack's obvious distressing Jamie spoke to Bridget offering, "Maybe you shouldn't say stuff like that. Jack Frost might hear you."

Bridget shrugged. "Well I don't know about Jack Frost but Mr. Hypothermia over doesn't seem to like it." She smiled after giving the white haired spirit a nudge with her shoulder causing her to feel his cold body again.

Jamie's eyes almost came out of their eye sockets and nearly tripped over at what he saw. "D-did you just? I mean you just and-"

Bridget giggled while shaking her head. "Yes I can touch people Jamie. I'm blind Jamie, not unable to feel."

"That's not what I meant," Jamie explained with an anxious voice. "You just heard and touched Jack Frost!"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck uneasily waiting for Bridget's reaction. He was already playing in his head. She would snicker and say to Jamie _"Grow up kid, he's not real. Just some made-up fairy tale like Santa and the Easter Bunny."_ It was words like those that made the Guardians of Childhood lose more believers.

What reality gave him; "Are you serious?" She chuckled before saying, "Well no wonder his hand felt so cold."

The Guardian nearly did a double take when he heard that. She couldn't actually be a-"And because of your obvious silence must mean you're shocked but yes I am a believer. It may come to you as a cliché but I've been one as long as I can remember."

A silent moment passed until Jamie spoke, "So you really _do _believe. When I told you the story I didn't think…"

Bridget smiled wistfully, "Really Jamie after all this time you thought I didn't take your story about the Guardians seriously?"

"Maybe a little."

Bridget couldn't have possibly grinned wider. "Well it's anybody's loss for who doesn't."

Jack mirrored her smile before suggesting, "Speaking of believers, I bet you Jamie that your friends are itching for a full out snowball war right?"

Jamie nodded excitedly. "You bet."

"Well what are we waiting for? Easter? Let's get going!"

"But wait where's Bridget's cane?" Jamie now noticed that the seventeen-year-old wasn't holding it or that it was anywhere near them.

Bridget's blank look returned as she thumbed toward Jack's direction. "Ask _Mr. Freeze_ over here?"

Jamie couldn't help but stifle a laugh while Jack gave the girl a look similar to the one he gave Bunny while they were collecting teeth. Try not to ask, it's too confusing.

"Really? 'Freeze?'" Jack asked with his arms crossed.

"Relax," Jamie reassured. "You probably don't understand the reference anyway. But what did Bridget mean by asking you?"

While smiling sheepishly Jack began, "Well…"

* * *

"You crashed into her?" Jack winced when saw Jamie's unpleased look. The trio was walking to the park with Bridget holding the boy's hand.

"It was an accident," Jack insisted. "I was flying too low and she was just there! I thought I could just phase through her like everyone else."

"You mean like other non-believers," Bridget asked with an arched eyebrow. She smirked before putting in, "It's bad to make assumptions like that."

"Well you're the first teenager I've actually met so…"

"Okay, okay I get it. Having a teen believer sounds so~ impossible."

"I didn't mean it like-" "I'm teasing you."

Jamie watched the whole exchange with a bewildered surprise. He knew from his mid-April talks with Jack that he hadn't exactly spoken with a lot of kids physically his age and Bridget was somewhat of a loner in the high school. And yet there they were talking like friendly classmates meeting each other for the first time.

"_Teenagers are strange," _Jamie mentally concluded. He stared ahead and smiled. "Guys were at the park."

"Sweet," Jack declared.

"Finally," Bridget sighed.

"And my friends are still there." Jamie said as he saw them already starting the snowball fight with out him.

Correctly guessing the tone Jamie used was that of longing Bridget said, "You go and play."

"Are you sure? Do you still need me to walk you to a bench or-" "It's okay kiddo," Jack broke him off. "I'll help Bridget out and you go and get those older kids playing, for me. Will ya?"

Jamie nodded and said goodbye and did exactly what Jack told him.

"I don't know how you do it but you're good." Bridget admitted. She smiled when she heard Jamie's friends welcoming their friend.

Jack shrugged with a smug look. "It's a gift."

"So will you get me to a bench?"

"If you're okay with that," Jack replied. He did wondered if she wouldn't get bored or not.

The redhead nodded. "Yeah I have some books in Braille I can read."

Figuring that she sounded fine said, "Well okay then. Do you have any preference to where you wanna sit?"

"Near enough so I can hear the kids."

He raised his crook near her hand level and offered; "You can hang on to my staff while I walk you since all I can do is keep you cold."

She clasped it with no problem and cheekily said, "Lead the way Frosty."

It was that moment Jack decided to probably stop helping blind girls if they were all that sassy.

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**Q-A: **Pretty good for a second chapter huh? Definitely a lot longer too. I hope you guys like Bridget okay, she's a little playful but she means well and her full personality will be seen soon along with why she's such a strong believer in the Guardians. But again I might not get to update on the 8th or this week with all of my school coming back and all. Just to give you a fair warning.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	3. Tales from the Creep

**Q-A: **Here's chapter 3. This is where the plot starts up I think at least it's going somewhere. I hope it is.

Disclaimer: Bridget is mine (For now) while places and people owned by DreamWorks and William Joyce are theirs.

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_~Tales from the Creep~_

The all-out snowball war turned out to be an alarming success. While Jack claimed to be a neutral party, supplying the kids as many snowballs as possible, he did join Jamie and his friends' team whenever some older kids came around. As for Bridget, she remained on 'her' bench and was reading the Braille edition of Jules Verne's_ From the Earth to the Moon. _She was getting to the part where the scientists were preparing their flight when the redhead heard an obnoxious voice.

"Looky here, it's the babies playing in the snow." Bridget groaned when she quickly recognized the speaker. It was Jebediah Brown, a freshman from her school.

"Yeah, an' I bet they're playin' with their imaginary friend." Oh goody, he brought company too.

"Who are these clowns," Jack asked Jamie with a snowball still in hand. He didn't like the way those older kids were acting toward Jamie and his friends at all.

"Some guys that go to the same high school Bridget goes to," whispered the younger boy.

"Aww, look. Shrimp's talkin' to his invisible friend now," one of Jebediah's cronies slurred. The other bullies laughed in agreement.

One of Jamie's friends, Pippa stood up to them with her arms akimbo. "Why don't you just leave us alone?"

"And miss mocking you little babies? Fat chance!"

"You're just jealous that you didn't get to meet Santa," another friend, Claude, declared. "He, the Sandman, and the Easter bunny are a whole lot cooler than you, even since one of them is a rabbit."

Jebediah's face flared a bright red. "Oh that's it!" He picked up a rock and threw it straight at Jamie. That wasn't a smart move. With his staff Jack deflected it with ease and threw his snowball square on Jebediah's buck-toothed friend's face.

"What the-" "Oh now you did it," Bridget muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. Her face held a ghost of a smirk as she closed her book and put it in her pack. "Really Jeb? Wasn't getting coal continuously from Santa a big enough clue for ya?"

From that last comment nobody knew what the redhead was speaking of.

"What're you talking out," Jeb asked. He sneered when he realized who the girl was. "Wait a minute you're that blind book-nerd from school. My big-brother who's in your year, says you're a weirdo cuz you spend time readin' and stuff."

Bridget arched an eyebrow before reflecting, "Ah yes, Jeremiah must've said that to you."

"Duh, that's what I just said."

"But he didn't say what kind of books I read didn't he?"

Jeb snickered. "Who cares?"

With a smug look the upperclassmen replied, "You. Because I know a lot about the fairy tales you like to tease these kids for believing in."

"Why should I care?"

She stood up, then brushed snow off of herself and started to walk. Having no cane with her Bridget had to shuffle slightly through the snow until another one of Jamie's friends, a bespectacled boy named Monty, helped her out a bit. She stood near Jack when she continued her little explanation.

"Why for the same reason hundreds of years ago. Because you see if you think all there is to Jack Frost is harmless snowballs and fun times…well you don't know Jack. Jack Frost will come out and freeze you. He does it to all of the naughty children as a favor from Santa Claus. All of us nice kids know that."

Moments passed and the only sound heard was the far sound of other children playing. Seconds later the freshman boys started to laugh like mad. They knew she was weird but they no idea that the senior was crazy too.

"Yeah right and I'm the Easter bunny," Jeb said in mockery.

Jack shook his head in doubt. He half-whispered to Bridget, "If he was Bunny, then I should've done a lot more than throw a snowball at him."

Bridget did well to keep her poker face up as she said, "Now don't you start laughing. He's as real as the sun and moon themselves. And like Santa, he deals with naughty children all of the time. In fact, not too long ago he dealt with a few kids as bad as you are right now."

"Oh yeah, like how?"

"First he would simply do harmless tricks like throwing a snowball at the bad child out of nowhere." Jack smirked at that and made another snowball and hit Jeb on the face with it. That got the older kids attention. While raising two fingers up Bridget continued, "Second, the wind begins to howl that would grow louder and fiercer with each wisp. Its sound mimicking hungry wolves whining for fresh flesh"

With a wave of his hand Jack made his wind whirled loudly.

The buck-toothed bully chattered nervously as he pulled on Jeb's sleeve. "We should go it's…uh getting' real cold out here."

Much to his surprise Jeb growled with skepticism, "It's just some coin science."

"_That's 'coincidence', you dumbass." _Bridget nearly lost her train of thought and almost corrected the idiot until she remembered the situation.

Without a pause she continued, "And finally when the naughty children would leave for home, none of them noticed an invisible figure fallowing them." Her voice got lower with each passing syllable. "Then as the bad little boys went to sleep they did not see what Jack Frost was doing to their bedroom. Nor did they see him freeze the doors and windows so no one could get in _or_ out."

Everyone was so engrossed with the story that none of the believers noticed that Jack was standing right behind the bullies. He had a feeling Bridget had a plan from the start and with the right cues he made sure that her storytelling had enough 'atmosphere' for the tale she weaved. The white-haired boy waited for the right moment when he could make the story really come to life.

With her excellent hearing Bridget heard snow crunching up in the ice and correctly assumed Jack was behind the freshmen and she inwardly smirked when she asked, "And you want to know what he did?"

Jeb gulped nervously before whispering, "What?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"What!"

Having timing so perfect that Father Time himself would be impressed Bridget exclaimed, "He~ frosted THEM!" At that very same moment, Jack used his staff to daintily zap ice on the three bullies rear ends causing them to squeal like little girls. They ran off from the park.

"Let's get outta here. That freaky-girl's a real creep!"

Jamie and his friends couldn't believe what had happened. Once they realized what had happened they simultaneously cheered.

"That was so awesome," Claude's twin brother, Caleb, complimented.

"And the way you zapped them was really funny," another girl, Cupcake, added.

Bridget blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Ah, it was nothing. Jack Frost was the one who did the theatrics." For some reason that comment made Jack flush slightly while he rubbed his neck.

"How did you do that," Monty asked Jack. "How were you able to figure out what Bridget wanted you to do?"

He shrugged, "All I did was watch and noticed what tones she was using. I mean she was practically shouting for me to use the wind."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "Only because I didn't think you'd take the hint," she replied before giving the Guardian's should a slight gab. The only pain he felt was a barely bruised ego.

When Jamie's friends saw that they couldn't believe their eyes but yes Bridget really could hear and touch Jack. Just like before the two teens had to explain that Bridget was a hard believer like they were.

"Why does this surprise you guys so much," Bridget asked with a small shake of her head. "I've been believing in people like Jack for since as long as I can remember."

Hearing that did make Jack happy until he heard Pippa's answer, "Most older kids and grown-up don't usually take us seriously when we tell them."

Jack was surprised to hear this and crouched down to the kids' level before asking, "Why have other kids besides the ones from earlier have bothered you guys before?"

Jamie pulled on his shoulder a bit. "Well…"

"Yes," Bridget answered for him. "It's been happening a little before I even moved here."

"Bridget!"

Jack went up to the redhead's level, staring at with a serious face. "When was that?"

"June," Bridget replied. "According to Jamie's mom he and his friends were being bullied by the time Spring Break started."

"And you didn't say anything to me?" Disbelief was written all over Jack's face. He slowly began to remember how the times when he visited Jamie he noticed the kid wincing slightly as he walked around his bedroom, or if he saw a slight bruise on the younger boy's face. If any of those injuries were made by some bullies Jack would've really frosted those ungrateful little-"I didn't want you to worry." A guilty look appeared on Jamie's face.

"I'm already worried for you."

Hearing the tone Jack was using didn't exactly please Bridget. She felt for Jamie's head and clasped his shoulder gently before shifting her body towards Jack's. "It's not his fault. Jamie and the others have been dealing with this for a while now. It'll get better once school is out for Christmas."

Jack sighed as he gripped his staff strongly. "Yeah but if you said something sooner I would've-" "Come here when it was the middle of summer," Jamie asked suddenly. "Being in that weather would hurt you real bad Jack." His brown eye dimming down slightly I fear. "I'm not sure if I'd be okay with that."

"Hey slow down, don't you think for second about my well-being." Jack said in a gentler manner than before. "Sure I get weaker when I don't have enough believers but I've got you and your friends right? Plus I hope you haven't forgotten about me promising to always be there for you." He turned to the other kids before adding, "That goes the same for all of you too."

That made the children happy to know Jack Frost would always have their back. Bridget smiled before adjoining to Jack's promise, "And you guys still have a long~ time before you have to worry about growing up." She took what she thought was Jamie's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "So don't get worried about what some bullies say to you."

When she heard some of the kids laughing she thought they were mocking her until Jamie said," Um, Bridget that's not my hand you're holding."

Jack smirked before whispering into her ear. "Mine actually."

The look on her face was priceless as she yelped before unlinking her hand from his and blushed deeply. She muttered an apology and tried to unsuccessfully buried her hands in her pockets and face in her fluffy hood. Jack had to admit seeing Bridget reacting like that was kind of cute. He inwardly blushed when he realized how weird that sounded.

"Hey Jamie," Pippa piped in to ease the tension. "Can we go to your place and get some hot chocolate? The wind Jack used on the bullies made it pretty cold out here." The rest of the kids nodded in agreement.

"Sorry about that," Jack apologized.

Jamie said, "Sure when can do that. Last one there's a slushy snowball!"

The children laughed and quickly left the park for some warm chocolaty goodness. Only they forgot one thing.

"They left me again didn't they," Bridget deadpanned.

Jack sighed slightly. "I guess so."

"Figures," she clasped the bridge of her nose before suggesting, "Why don't we go back to where my cane broke? I'm sure Jamie's mom would want to know what happen to it."

"Why would you show it to her?"

Bridget stared off to some random direction and sighed. "I live with the Bennetts. Ever since I moved into this town. I'm an orphan."

Jack eyes widen. That was news to him. "Really? Jamie never-" "You left around May right? So Jamie and I hadn't met until June remember?"

"I had no idea."

"You never asked. I don't have anyone else so I've been living with them."

That only made Jack feel a lot worse. The feeling went away when he got an idea, an idea that would benefit her and the other Guardians.

"Did you ever wonder if you're on Santa's nice list?"

* * *

**Q-A: **And there we go. Sorry this took longer but with school and all and this being slightly longer made it hard for me to have enough time to work on it. (Smiles sheepishly) But what could Jack's question mean? XD You'll have to wait and find out.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	4. Number 1234593

**Q-A: **Here we go with chapter 4! This is where we get to meet another Guardian. And I hope the last chapter was a good enough clue for ya!

Disclaimer: Bridget is mine (For now) while places and people owned by DreamWorks and William Joyce are theirs.

* * *

_~Number 1234593~_

"I don't like that color, paint it blue. Boys like blue more this year." North's order rung loud and clear to the yeti that had finished painting the toy plane. Now he had to repaint the plane and three dozen more much to the mystical creature's disappointment.

The whole North Pole was in a buzz with getting ready for Christmas that was less then a month away. North was too busy to focus on anything that didn't have to do with toy building and preparing for the big day. The last thing he wanted was any-"Wagaahff Agruagf!" Phil, the yeti in charge of security came barging in with his arms waving erratically.

North's eyebrows furrowed when he grasped what the abominable snowman said. "Vhat you mean, someone breaking in?" His Russian accent was heavy with disbelief. "Vorkshop is impossible to find. No man could-" "Hey North!" Jack Frost's voice rung through the workshop. North almost surpassed a smile. Of course no _man_ could find it but a teenaged hellion is another story altogether.

Many of the yetis and elves turned to see who the 'intruder' was and saw Jack walking through the same doors Phil came in less than a minute ago. The yetis grunted as they resumed working. They were use to seeing the Guardian of Fun coming in whenever he felt like it. North had made it so that the boy was always welcomed at the North Pole since Easter.

North's face gleamed like a Christmas tree as he welcomed him. "Jack Frost! Good to be seeing of you."

Jack returned the smile. "Great to see ya too, North."

"But vhy back so soon?" The older Guardian lowered his hands to his hips. "I did not think you would return until spring."

The younger Guardian smiled a bit. "Well you see-"

"Hey what's the big deal? Let me go!" Both Legendaries turned their heads toward the opened doors to see another yeti, named Yaloo, half dragging a resisting figure. Neither could see the person because a hood concealed the face. While North had a surprised expression Jack nearly winced. This was not going to his plan at all.

"So this is the intruder." North crossed his arms. Jack placed his staff on the floor and put his hands up. "No, no you don't understand that's actually-"

"Oomph!" The figure groaned as the hood slid off by accident. North's sapphire eyes widened when he saw that the he was actually a she. "I really didn't see coming," the girl mumbled.

Jack picked up his staff before muttering, "You and me both."

"An adolescent," North whispered before shouting towards Jack, "YOU brought an adolescent to North Pole!"

"The adolescent has a name you know," Bridget said in an amused tone. Her face turned serious when she asked, "Can someone help me up? I've been sitting here for like two minutes now."

Yaloo, who recovered from shock, gently pulled the redhead up and angled her so her face met the two Guardians'. "Thanks," she said. "Say did you knew you had these Chewbaccas up here? Or are they all cousins to Big Foot?" She couldn't help but chuckle at her own joke.

In the first time Jack ever seen it North was completely floored by this new arrival. "Mosolov," he whispered. "You-you can." He whipped down near Jack's level and whispered. "She can see us. Did you know this?"

"Yeah, isn't it amazing?" Jack grinned. "I almost couldn't believe it either."

North turned his head back toward Bridget and looked at her with newfound interest. "An adolescent who is also a believer. I never thought I'd see one again."

Bridget smiled while hearing that. "Yeah well the feeling's mutual. Except for the fact you're not the same age as me and I can't see you."

North's thick brown eyebrows rose up. "You are blind," he said it as a statement not a question.

Bridget nodded. "Yes." She frowned and had a look of realization. "And that's why Jack kidnapped me."

The winter spirit walked up to her self-protectively. "I didn't," he yelled. "When I asked if you wanted to know if you were on Santa's nice list you said 'yes.'"

Bridget rolled her eyes before replying, "Yeah but I said it nonchalantly. Then you had the gull to pick me up and fly me up here. But I wouldn't have remembered most of the trip since I past out from screaming halfway through Quebec."

"And you were really loud too." Jack rubbed his ears as he recalled her banshee like yelling.

"Excuse ME?"

"Now, now, now," North spoke to cease their bickering. "Let's down the settling right now." The Guardian of Wonder placed his tattooed 'Naughty' arm on Jack's shoulder and his 'Nice' one on Bridget's. "I vould like to hear more of your story leetle girl and how you and Jack Frost came to meet. If you do not mind that at all that is."

The 'leetle' girl sighed in defeat. "Yeah sure."

North released them both and clapped his hands in gratitude. "Vonderful! Now vhy don't we got you some hot chocolate? You must be cold."

Bridget smiled and said, "You got that right. I'm Bridget by the way and I am a little curious to why you have yetis around here. And Jack and Jamie said something about them making the toys."

North gave a hearty laugh as he led her to the grand fireplace. "Vell Bridget it's a long story…"

* * *

Loud laughter could be heard from all of the corners of Santoff Claussen. Bridget was in near tears after hearing what North had just told her. "So let me get this straight. All of the elves here were once your 'mighty men' who helped you rob and steal treasures all across the world."

North nodded eagerly, "Yes they use to fight grand armies and did whatever I told them. Upon our arrival in Santoff Claussen, the village this workshop vas named after, ve vere bombarded by its Spirit of the Forest, who promised beautiful treasures to us.

"I but was too clever for her tricks and took none. But my men were greedy though, and were turned to stone by the Spirit of the Forest. I pleaded vith Spirit of Forest to turn them back from stone. And she did it, but vith a side effect." He grinned knowingly and leaned toward Bridget and whispered, "And you remembered vhat I said?"

The redhead nodded, "They didn't return back into their normal selves, but into small elven men vith high-pitched voices. Instead of angry or cruel men, they vere happy and smiley elves." She finished with a failed attempt to mimic North's heavy accent. Both of their laughter echoed the Globe where they sat, as they waited for Bridget's new long cane to be made. Yes that was part of Jack's plan was for her to get a new cane and meet North. Especially the meeting North part.

It almost surprised Jack how well Bridget hit it off with North. To think he was probably thinking about throwing her out until she started asking the bearded man all sorts of questions. And being North he was happy to answer them, at least the ones that weren't too personal. That's what Jack had hoped, to see her getting along with North and probably introducing her to the rest. The other Guardians would definitely love to meet a teenager nearing adulthood that still held them all with a strong sense of belief. Why she had such a strong belief was still a mystery to Jack as he watched her and North carefully while resting on a wooded pillar.

Phil walked over with a stack of finished Nutcrackers and looked suspiciously at the lone Guardian. The yeti pushed Jack with a free hand and grunted. He pointed toward the other two. Jack took the hint and answered, "I'm keeping an eye on her okay. There's nothing wrong with that." Phil gave him an 'I'm-watching-you' look before walking toward North.

North inspected the wooden toys before declaring, "I don't like them. Re-paint with blue for pants instead of black and gold trimmings, not silver."

Phil gave an exasperated sigh and took the crate back for the yeti painter to fix.

"I'm sure they look real nice," Bridget shouted sympathetically. She turned her head to North's direction before asking, "Don't you sound a little harsh? I'm sure they're all doing their best."

"Yes," North sighed. "But vith Christmas a month away everything must be perfect and ready."

Bridget frowned slightly after hearing that. "Then sitting with me must be wasting your time-"

"No, no," North corrected. "Please spending time vith new friends is not wasting anytime at all." Bridget smiled when he called her a friend. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll just stay and listen to your stories, sir." She ended with a false salute.

"Aww now, vhat's vith this 'sir' business? Do I sound like a sir to you?"

Bridget shook her head bashfully. "No. It's just that the kids call you Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Khris Kringle, or whatever. And Frost calls you North; I have no idea what to properly call you."

"Ha, if it matters that much to you then you may know me by Nicholas St. North."

Bridget blinked twice before suggesting, "Why don't I just call you North too."

"Fine by me!"

She placed her cup of coco and waited for an elf to refill. As she waited Bridget asked, "So why are you and the rest called Guardians? Jamie told me a little from what Jack told him and from I gathered you protect kids but what do you protect exactly?"

North perked up at that question. "So you know Jamie. Vell yes it is correct that the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, and I are all Guardians of Childhood. It is our job to protect the children of the world from many threats such as the boogeyman and his darkness."

Bridget shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "The boogeyman **is** real?" If there was one person Jamie told her existed and wanted not to be real, it was the boogeyman.

North nodded solemnly. "He is, but ve, the Guardians, do everything in our power to fight him so children can be safe. It is vhat makes us who ve are. Those make our centers."

"So then what's your center?"

The Guardian contemplated over that. If she could see he would have showed her the Russian nesting doll that he had showed Jack. North finally decided to ask her a question. "When you think of the name Santa Claus who do imagine?"

The redhead scrunched her eyebrows, thinking the question over. "Um, you're big with a round belly and a huge beard."

"Vhat else?"

"A red suit and a sack full of toys."

"Stick with my appearance," North encouraged.

"…Merry dimples, red cheeks, and-"

"My eyes," North interjected. "Vhat about the eyes."

"Um," Bridget paused. Jack listened vigilantly. Boy he hoped she was going to say- "They're probably blue and big."

"Yes!" North beamed. "Big eyes. Very big! Because they are full of vonder. That is my center. It is vhat I was born with. Eyes that have always seen the vonder in everything! Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air. This vonder is vhat I put into the world and vhat I protect in children. It is vhat makes me a Guardian. It is my center."

Bridget sighed in amazement from the speech. If anyone held the most Christmas spirit it was definitely North. Jack couldn't but smile at her reaction. Her gray eyes held so much joy when North explained his center. It almost made him wish he could do that-JINGLE.

The sound of a jingle bell interrupted his train of thought. The bell belonged to an elf that was carrying a teacup full of hot chocolate. The little guy brought it up to the table where Bridget placed her cup and poured in the drink. Not without trying to steal a sip of the drink, but before he could Bridget grabbed it in the last second.

"Thanks for warning me about the elves," she said to the Guardian of Wonder. "They must still have some of their previous instincts of being kleptomaniacs."

North laughed and nodded. "Yes them and their pointy heads are always underboot. Drives me mad half of the time."

Yaloo the yeti soon came into the room and in his paws held an object covered in cloth. He brought to North who gave the yeti a nod and thanked him. Yaloo stayed and started to grunt and make hand gestures at Bridget.

Bridget tilted her head in confusion. "Uh, North why is one of your yetis still here?"

"Yaloo is here because he apologizes for dragging you. You wearing hood made it hard to see it was a leetle girl."

Bridget smiled in understanding. "S' okay it's not the first time that happened. And it's fine Yaloo, I'm tougher than I look. No broken bones or anything." She then spoke in a serious tone. "But for the record I'm not a little girl." She crossed her arms before adding, "I just happen to be a little short for my age."

Jack chuckled. "Could've fooled me."

"Frosty! How long have you been in here?"

He frowned at the nickname but answered, "Up to _Indiana North's _adventures in Siberia, up to now."

North looked at the winter spirit kindly, "Jack you could have sit vith us if you had asked."

"I'm fine here."

Bridget sighed in annoyance. "Oh sure he's nice to you but all he does is teasing me."

North chuckled and suggested, "Yes but only towards pretty girls, no?"

Immediately both teens blushed like mad as they quickly denied such a thing. "Um, no I mean I'm flattered-" "She's just needed some help and-" "Alright, alright," North interrupted. "Now why don't we have a look at what Yaloo brought, yes?"

He unwrapped the silvery cloth and revealed a brand new long cane. It was black with a white and pink handle and a strap. When North handed it to Bridget she couldn't keep herself from smiling. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! The grip on this is amazing. It even has a strap. THANK YOU!"

North smiled. "Vould you like to try it out?"

The redhead nodded and did just that. When some of the yetis moved the furniture away Bridget walked around a few feet with the cane swaying side to side. Jack also couldn't keep himself from smiling. Helping Bridget get a new cane did help clear up his conscience.

North looked over at the world's clocks and saw what time Burgess was at. "It's almost thirty passed four."

Bridget's eyes widened in shock, "4:30? I didn't know I was here that long." She whipped her face near North's direction and said, "Sorry but it's late and Carol must be worried right now."

"Carol," both Guardians asked at once.

"Mrs. Bennett, Jamie's and Sophie's mom," Bridget explained. "I should've been home hours ago."

Jack held his cane up and said, "Relax I'll get you back home quicker then you'll realize."

Bridget made a face and shook her head. "Yeah I don't think I can do that again."

"Come on I haven't lost a passenger yet."

"Because I was the first."

"Actually Jamie was."

"Really?"

"Will you be off or not," North suddenly asked. "Nighttime is coming up here and with winter coming so will Burgess too."

Jack smiled sheepishly. "Right, uh, we DO need to be heading out now Bridget."

The redhead sighed, "I don't have much of a choice do I?"

Jack smirked. "Nope," he answered while making a big pop on the 'p.'

Reluctantly Bridget placed her new cane in her backpack and held out her arms. Jack took them and wrapped them around his neck and tried to keep his blush down. North stifled a chuckle before the boy glared at him.

"Oh wait," North called, stopping them from leaving. "Before you go, I wanted you to know Bridget of Burgess that you are #1234593 on Nice List."

Bridget's mouth dropped slightly before she recomposed herself. "Oh well, um, thank you for telling me?"

The Russian Cossack chuckled, "You're welcome and MERRY CHRISTMAS!" He yelled trough the wind as Jack carried Bridget up though the air and flew way down south.

The Guardian of Wonder had a knowing smile on his face as he watched the teenagers leave. Phil came over with another load of toys and noticed Jack and the nice girl had left. North glanced over and thought aloud. "I have feeling in belly ve'll see more of leetle girl in near future. Don't you Phil?"

* * *

**Q-A: **Does anyone else know how much fun it is to write North's dialogue? XD It's great! I can't wait to do the rest of the Guardians. Most of probably wondering where's all of the action and crazy crow lady now? Don't you guys worry next chapter is where we have some fighting. And it's not between Jack and Bridget. Don't worry.

And as for the story about the elves, I didn't make that up. That's from the original story of _Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King._ We'll be seeing more references to the book series later on. But it won't be confusing. At least I hope not.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	5. Nerves (Canes) of Steel

**Q-A: **The good news is: Bridget gets to meet the rest of the Guardians! :D Bad news: the reason behind it. ): But this is where the plot finally starts up and is not just some plain filler/stand-alones.

I watched the Golden Globe awards on Sunday and I was beyond annoyed RotG didn't win. Don't get me wrong Brave was a good movie, but the fact that movie won and is nominated for an Oscar and Guardians isn't, it really pisses me off. Seriously we all know who's gonna win it now. :( So without further ado, let's get on with the somewhat action-y chapter 5.

**Disclaimer**: Bridget is mine (For now) while places and people owned by DreamWorks and William Joyce are theirs.

* * *

_~Nerves (Canes) of Steel~_

All was quiet at the pond where Jack Frost was reborn as the spirit in question was flying down with Bridget. He landed gracefully on the soft, near snowy ground.

"Okay, I'll admit it that was a lot of fun." She said after brushing some icy flakes off of her coat.

"I aim to please." Jack replied with a smile. He spun his staff around and created more of his namesake on the ground. The whole forest soon became a winter wonderland with snowflakes glittering around and snow banks rising up. It really looked beautiful with the sun nearly setting, giving the whole spot a heavenly glow. The only problem was Bridget couldn't see and admire the beauty of it. But that didn't seem to faze her at that moment. She was too engrossed with talking about her time with North as she and Jack walked through the forest.

"Who'd thought that he listens to so many composers? He even listens to Igor Stravinsky's Firebird suite. That's one of my favorite concert pieces ever! Jamie says North fights with swords and has a yeti army, but his taste in music is more than enough of pure awesome for me."

Jack arched an eyebrow at her but quickly remembered she wouldn't have seen it. Instead he mused, "That's a little weird."

"What's weird about it? Did it just become a crime to like classical music?"

"No, it's just I used to watch teenagers all the time and heard their preference toward songs. Most are either pop or that rap stuff."

Bridget shook her head in disgust. "Those people have no idea what they're missing out on. Same with books too. All the girls at school ever talk about are those stupid vampire novels. Don't get me wrong they're well written but the story is so cliché that it makes me wanna hurl after reading the first ten chapters."

"Is that why those kids from earlier made fun of you?" Jack spoke with curiosity.

"The kids…oh you mean those yahoos?" He chuckled at her choice of words. "Hey give me a break! I've so used to not cursing aloud that it's now become a personal habit of mine not to do that. Carol reminds me that I live in a house with two younger kids so I need to watch what I say."

"Why do you live with them?"

"I told you, I'm an orphan."

Jack sighed. "Yeah but why **them**?"

Bridget grabbed her right wrist and fidgeted uncomfortably. "Can we change the subject please?"

"Sorry," Jack apologized with his eyes downcast.

An awkward pause settled between them as they slowly walked. She remembered his earlier question and answered, "As for those 'guys' they're nothing but a bunch of idiots. I don't care what they have to say to me. Freshmen usually act all high and mighty when they first come into high school anyways. But getting made fun of by older kids makes them want to go after the younger ones. Hence the reason we saw Jeb and his pals this afternoon."

"That makes sense." Jack admitted. He still felt that the prank he and Bridget gave them was well deserved though. "But Jeb mention his older brother talks about you. From what I looked over it didn't sound nice."

The redhead shrugged. "Yeah well the whole place isn't full of jerks. They usually ignore the new kid but when it's a-holes like Jeb's brother, they think it's so cool to find something wrong in a person and call them weird because of it. 'S not my fault I read Braille editions of poetry and fiction books than most people would even look at."

"And yet you get to talk to Guardians like me and North." Jack included lightening her spirits.

Bridget rolled her eyes. "'North and me,' Jack." She corrected him before adding, "But yeah you're right about that. It was cool talking with North. I got to talk with Santa Claus, how many people get to say that?" The smile on her face only grew with each passing word. "Thanks, for letting me do that. It really made today a lot of fun."

"It was no problem." Bridget could almost hear Jack's smile.

"I think you mean 'snow' problem."

Despite the cheesy comeback, both teens laughed in spite of themselves. During mid-chuckle Bridget had a strange look on her face and raised her hand to silence the Guardian.

"Wha-" "Shh! I think something's wrong." Bridget's tone was full of concern.

"What are you talking about," he whispered. "I don't hear anything."

"That's the problem. I can't either. I can't hear anything." She spoke each word very slowly. "No birds, animals, or the wind."

Jack focused his hearing and was a little freaked out. There were no sounds of any animals. And when he tired using his wind, nothing.

"Okay, this is starting to get a little creepy."

"HELP!" A boy's voice was heard through the trees.

"Jamie!" Bridget and Jack exclaimed immediately after.

The Guardian whipped his staff and ran forward toward the direct Jamie screamed. Bridget unzipped her backpack, took out her cane, and fallowed him. Walking through trees was enough of a chore for Bridget, but running through them? It was nearly impossible, but the moment she heard Jamie calling, her instincts claimed her rational thinking and she charged right in. Oddly enough she didn't whack into any branches. There was the occasional root she almost tripped over but Bridget kept her pace and moved onward.

When she finally felt no trees around her Bridget soon heard something that was a lot more badly than snapping twigs. The sound of Jamie and Sophie in distress and the continuous cawing of birds surround their screams.

"Bad bird, bad bird," Jamie's 3-year-old sister cried as crows clung to her warm clothes and tried picking her up in the air. The birds didn't get the chance when Jack zapped them with ice. They suddenly became ice sculptures and shattered onto the earth. He caught her before Sophie could hit the ground.

"Sophie!" Bridget called out to her and the toddler came bounding toward the older girl and clung to her. Bridget did her best to soothe the poor girl as she kept wailing. "It's okay, the bad birdies are gone. Everything's gonna be okay."

"Bad birds have Jamie," the little blonde sobbed through her bright green eyes.

Bridget stroked Sophie little head and said soothingly, "Jack Frost will save him, and everything will be o-" The words were interrupted when she heard the large flap of wings and more birds flew past her head. She hovered over Sophie as a shield. None of the birds went after them though. She quickly realized they weren't coming after them. They were heading towards an unsuspecting Jack. Once again instincts clouded rational thinking as Bridget charged over. She fallowed the sounds of the birds and did her best to whack anything near her head.

* * *

Jack charged through the swarm of black birds and hit them with his crook. The instant a bird made contact, it became a bird-cicle. But unlike Sophie, who had only a few half dozen birds on her, Jamie had at least twenty trying to carry him up in the air and these weren't as willing to let go. If it weren't for the fact they were right near Jamie, Jack would've froze the birds in a heartbeat, but he didn't want to cost freezing Jamie too.

The worst part was the continuous pecking from their sharp beaks that poked holes in Jack's hoodie and unfortunately hitting flesh too. He kept digging through the flock with weakening strength at each step. He almost felt like quitting when some sense was literally knocked into him.

"Ow," he mentally cursed when he rubbed his head. He turned his head around and saw Bridget in his view while holding her long cane in a swinging position. She gave him a sheepish smile and apologized. "What are you doing here? You should with be with Sophie."

"And let you have all the fun?" Bridget asked sarcastically. "FYI, I totally pegged some birds that were going to slice you in half."

Jack did start to notice some unconscious crows surrounding them. All thanks to Bridget he concluded. Before he could even ask the question on how she was able to do that, Bridget added, "And Sophie's safe don't worry, what we really need to worry about is getting Jamie away from all these Hoover dam birds."

Knowing arguing with her would waste more precious time Jack reluctantly agreed. "Fine, but keep that cane away. That thing's like made of steel or something."

With no time to roll her eyes or say he was being a baby, Bridget attacked many birds as humanly possible with her cane. Fighting with newfound strength, Jack kept at dragging himself toward the blackest part of the swarm where Jamie was being held. He could hear Jamie's yells through the feathers and was so close to reaching him. The moment his hand felt cloth Jack grabbed Jamie and pulled him out.

The remaining birds cawed one last time and flew away before Jack could get them.

Gasping for air Jack gave Jamie a reassuring smile, but that calm moment ended when a huge crow cawed at him. The bird's eyes were redder than blood and its piercing glare stared straight through him. It cawed so loudly that Jack had to cover his ears. They still rung when the bird pushed him down and cawed again. It raised a sharp claw toward Jack's face and leaned in to-WHACK!

The crow fell down with a thud. It gave one last halfhearted caw and flew up before anyone could do anything. Jack saw Bridget on top of him and cheekily asked, "Still think I should've stayed with Sophie?"

She offered him her hand and he gratefully accepted. Jack glanced over toward the Bennett children and was in outer shock. Their clothes were in near shreds; their faces had small scratches, and their hair had some black feathers caked in them. Despite the expressions on the kids' faces they seemed okay. But that was only on the inside. Jack knelt down to meet their eyelevel and looked at them with sincerity.

"Are you guys okay-" "Jack! Those birds they-" "It's okay Jamie," Jack comforted. "None of those birds are going to-" "You don't understand! Those birds came out and-and-"

While hearing the distress in Jamie's voice, Bridget kneeled down to his level and embraced him. "It's alright, Jamie. If you have something to say you can tell us." She rubbed his back in reassurance. "We can wait."

"But you can't!" Jamie implored. "They need your help now!"

"Who Jamie," Jack asked with concern. "Who needs our help?"

The boy was tearing up as he dried his tears. "My friends, they were all taken away like Sophie and I were almost taken too."

The only sound that could be heard was the wind blowing through the distance. Whether Jack heard it or not didn't matter anymore.

* * *

"So when we left after getting some hot chocolate, we decided to go and find you guys. Mom told me to take Sophie with us too. When we didn't find you at the park, I remembered you telling me about you liking to spend time at the pond. We went there and waited for a while. It was getting late and Pippa said we should be heading back. But before I could say no…the birds came flying out of nowhere and flew right at us." Jamie said coarsely. His throat was tired from talking but he kept on while he rested his head on Jack's neck.

Jamie and Sophie were too wary to walk after what had happened to them. Jack offered the boy to piggyback ride him while Bridget carried Sophie. Jack, so Bridget wouldn't stray or hit a tree, held the redhead's left arm steady. The walk continued as small flurries of snow floated around them, covering their footprints as if they were never there. Jack wondered what if his snow didn't fall, and if someone saw all of the kids' footprints they could've walked in the forest and may have came in at the right moment and-Jack brushed that thought away.

He remembered something like this had happened before. When the Sandman died and Jack felt he could have done more until North told him that the past couldn't be changed and none of them, the Guardians, did not see it coming. The real blame lied with Pitch Black, the boogeyman. And right now the blame was on those birds.

"How did you end up in that forest clearing though," Bridget asked gently. Jack told her where the confronted the birds and what he described it was a good fifty meters from where the pond was.

"When the birds attacked they started to cling onto the others clothes. Sophie and me tried running away. I thought we'd lose them in the trees, but they dodged trough them. We fell in the clearing and they took hold of us. Then you guys showed up."

Bridget sighed tiredly. The whole situation was starting to get complicated. She didn't want all of this to happen to her or the kids for that matter. She didn't care if they fought the boogeyman, they were still children and no one should go through what Jamie and Sophie were going through. She glanced over Jack's direction and asked, "How long until we'll be in town?"

Jack stared over at the horizon and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw rooftops. "In about ten minutes. And five more when we reached the house."

Bridget smiled contently. "Good, the last thing I want is to deal with more stuff tonight."

Jack smiled in agreement as the houses started to get closer and closer. Bridget exhaled but held her breath when she heard a noise.

"Sirens." Jack lifted his head when he heard her. "It's faint, but I can still hear them."

The winter spirit groaned quietly. "That can't be good."

It wasn't.

* * *

The moment Jack and Bridget walked on the sidewalk near the house Jack could see dozens of police cars and people all over the place. He crouched down so Jamie could climb off and Bridget gently woke Sophie up. "Time to get up, your mommy's here."

The little girl's eyes quickly lit up. "MOMMY!"

"Sophie, Jamie?" a woman's voice was heard through the commotion. She was in her late thirties with brown hair and green eyes that were full of worry. The woman nearly cried when she saw the children. "Kids come here please."

Both children ran towards their mother as Carol embraced them. She placed her hands all over them as if she were afraid she couldn't touch her children again. Happiness was replaced with worry as she looked around and asked, "Where's Bridget?"

"I'm here," Bridget called with Jack by her side. She held her cane with a firm grip while giving the woman a reassuring smile. "Took me some time but I got here."

"Come here," Carol called gently. Bridget stepped lively and was enclosed in a hug soon after.

"Sorry to be breaking this up but when need to have a few words with your children about their sudden disappearance, along with the other ones." A police officer ordered with authority. The Bennetts reluctantly pulled away as Bridget got out of the hug first.  
"It'll just be a few questions, then we'll let you go home."

Blindly Bridget looked around hoping to hear Jack and asked for guidance. She needed something, anything to explain what had happened. All Jack could do was watch the family and orphan with vigilance and hope that his fellow Guardians find out about what had conspired.

* * *

"_Well that went horrible,"_ Bridget, thought negatively while sitting on Jamie's bed.

The talk with the police lasted for at least two hours. The whole experience gave her a horrible taste in her mouth. Thankfully Jack was with her and the kids and fed them a story of what had happened instead of the Alfred Hitchcock's, _The Birds _reenactment earlier. Jamie and his friends left the house around 2:30 p.m. and went to find Bridget when they forgot her ("Kids will be kids," Bridget supplemented). When they didn't find her in the park they soon heard her screaming near an empty road ("There wasn't anybody there," Jamie defended). They saw her struggling against these two big men that were near a black van. Pippa wanted to call the police but the boys charged in and did their best to help. But five boys against two grown men was not a decent fight. Bridget heard a gunshot and by instinct, hit the two men below the belt with her cane, and grabbed two kids and yelled at the rest to fallow. Unfortunately the only ones who fallowed were the ones who clung to her hands: Jamie and Sophie. The others weren't as lucky ("All we remembered was hearing tires screeching while we were hiding in those thorny bushes. I wasn't in all the way so that's why my clothes and face are less scratched," Bridget explained while gesturing to her less shredded clothes.).

Much to their amazement, the police and Carol believed the story. The officers placed a perimeter around the town area and made patrols on highways, roads, and any pathway that can be used to travel on. It was a strong attempt but only four people really knew what had happened.

The worst part for Bridget was learning how Jamie's friends' parents reacted toward the news. Bridget wanted to die after hearing how anguished they sounded. "I wish we could've just told them what happened." Jamie stated. He and Sophie were in the room with Bridget, as Carol talked with the police downstairs.

"You know we can't Jamie," Bridget replied. "None of them would believe us and even if they did, there'd be no chance of-" She stopped mid-sentence when she realized how awful she sounded. Of course Jamie's friends will be found, but the police wouldn't be the ones finding them.

A strong gust of wind blew on the window and Jack could be seen floating near it. Jamie opened the panel and Jack climbed in with ease. His expression was unreadable. "Before you ask," Jack began when he saw Jamie's hopeful face and raised his hand. "I couldn't find them. I looked everywhere, the surrounding area, nearby towns, nothing. I couldn't find any trace of the birds at all."

Jamie's face fell as he stepped back and rested on his bed. Bridget delicately placed a hand on his back. "It'll be okay. I'm sure everything will be-Hey where do you think you're going!" She quickly took a hold of Jack's blue sleeve when she heard him trying to depart.

Jack groaned at her stubbornness. "I gotta go see the Guardians about all of this."

"And leave us here?" She gestured toward herself and the kids. "Look, I know I don't know a lot about what's going on but I'm just as involved as you are and in a lot better shape to go with you than Jamie or Sophie. Heck, I even fought along side with you a few hours ago. You owe me. Plus I don't have to worry about school tomorrow knowing you."

Jack heaved in frustration at her immovable hand and attitude. "There is no way you are coming-" "Jack please let her go." Both teens gaped at Jamie who held a look of acceptance. "Bridget's right, if it weren't for her you would've been hurt a lot worse than you are now."

Jack inwardly winced at the pain his wounds gave him. Jamie continued with his voice growing stronger. "She can go with you tonight and whatever you and the Guardians find out about my friends, Bridget can come home tomorrow and tell us."

Jack opened his mouth in defiance, ready to retaliate, but he couldn't think of anything to counter. Much to his dismay he had to admit Jamie and Bridget held very strong points.

The Guardian shook his head in defeat. "Fine, Bridget you can come with. But you're going straight back here before sunrise. And it's not a field trip," Jack insisted. "You better pay attention to whatever we're saying, got it?"

Bridget smiled. "Sure thing **Dad**." Jack gave her an annoyed look. "Just let me get my cane and coat."

As she went over to Jamie's closet to find her coat Jack leaned on the ledge of the windowsill and sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose. "Is she always this impossible?"

Jamie shook his head and stifled a laugh. "No, but to be honest she use to be a lot more quiet when she moved into our house. She didn't really say a lot to be honest. You're probably the first person she's talked to besides my mom, Sophie, and me. But it didn't take to long for her to warm up to my friends though."

"You better not be saying any secrets behind my back~" Bridget called out.

"No," Both boys said in unison with slight smiles on their faces. Sophie let out a laugh from their silliness.

"Well I found my coat but my cane isn't here."

Jamie's eyebrows furrowed. "Didn't you leave it down stairs with your backpack?"

Bridget winced. "Dang, you're right. It'll be too hard for me to go down there on my own without Jamie's mom noticing or with the cops still down there."

A silence filled the room after that.

* * *

Jack scanned his head around the hallway connecting the stairway. He smirked when he saw no one and stepped down off the final stair. "So there's nobody around?"

Jack nearly jumped and turned around to see Bridget right near him. "What are you doing down here? We agreed you'd stay up with Jamie and Sophie while I went to get your bag."

"You didn't answer my question."

Jack almost rolled his eyes at her insolence. "No, no one's around."

Bridget smiled. "Good. Now let's go get my cane."

Both of them walked slowly down the hallway as they reached the hall closet. "This should be where I placed my pack before heading upstairs earlier."

Just as Jack placed his hand on the handle the sound of footsteps could be heard. Panicking Jack grabbed Bridget and opened the door to put her inside. She was still clinging to his sleeve and he joined her by accident.

"Thank you for your time Mrs. Bennett. We will do everything in our power to find these criminals and bring them to justice."

"Your welcome," Carol's reply sounded muffled through the closet door. Because of little room the closet possessed, the teens were in a very uncomfortable position with their limbs nearly tangled and their noses almost brushing.

Jack tried really hard to keep his breath steady but found it rather difficult with Bridget's arms resting around his neck. He knew it wasn't on purpose but it was hard for him to not and try anything. This was the second time Jack was in close contact with a human so his experience with them was very limited. Granted Jamie hugged him and it was made as a sign of a newly formed friendship, but with Bridget he had no idea what to call her. He barely spent that much time with teenagers to begin with. He remembered how much of an idiot he sounded when asked her about what her classmates were like. He didn't even know what to call Bridget yet.

Enemy? No. Friend. Perhaps too strong of a word, they only met that day. An acquaintance? Probably. An ally? She did save his life. A-girl-that-happens-to-believe-in-him-and-is-frien ds-with-his-best-friend...Yeah that would be the name for her.

"Um Jack," Bridget's voice broke his train of thought. Her soft breath tickled as Jack tried not to fidget.

"Uh, yeah," his voice nearly cracked and he mentally slapped himself. Why was he acting so weird? This could've been normal behavior for teenagers and he didn't have any idea. Bridget must've thought he was being child_-"Wait why am I caring what she thought?" _ He brushed his remaining thoughts away and focused on the situation. "I said I think Carol is gone. She went upstairs like two minutes ago."

Jack couldn't help but smile in good humor. "Then why are you still whispering?"

"Why are you?"

"Jack, Bridget, are you guys okay down there?" Jamie's voice could be heard and footsteps fallowed. Both teens quickly untangled themselves and scrambled out of the closet. Unfortunately their tangled legs caused them to trip and land with Jack falling first and Bridget landing on top with her backpack landing on her back. Hastily they got up and silently agreed to never bring up that trip-up ever again. Ever.

"We got my bag," Bridget panted with a flushed face after she and Jack climbed up the stairs.

"Good, Mom's already went to bed. She didn't notice you were gone." Jamie said quietly so he wouldn't wake her up. He didn't seem to notice the older kids tension between them as they walked back to his room. The redhead grabbed her coat and sat near Sophie.

"Okay Sophie, you be good and keep an eye on your brother for me 'kay?" Bridget asked after giving the toddler a big hug. Sophie bobbed her head and simply chanted, "Bunny, bunny, hop-hop-hop!"

"Shh, yes, yes I'll make sure to say hi to the Easter Bunny for ya too."

"You ready?" Jack stood near the door whit his crook in hand and his free arm resting on the doorsill. Bridget nodded as she stood up, lifted her backpack and walked to the door. "Why are you taking that with you?" Jack asked Bridget as he held the glass door to the backyard for her. They walked through the backyard quietly with the only sound being their feet crunching on the newly fallen snow. Jack also held up a loose fence plank for Bridget as she breathed in her gut and squeezed through the small gap before Jack simply hopped over the fence. As they walked down the sidewalk Jack repeated his question.

"Taking what? I can't see what you're asking." Bridget answered. She thought for a second and 'ahh'ed. "You mean my backpack. Carol insists that I take it with me whenever I'm going outside. It has all of my background and contact information, and a photo of her and the kids so I can show to the police saying, 'I live with these people, take me to them. Granted I think that last one is a little unnecessary but, it's for the sake of my safety, as my social worker put it."

"You needing protection?" Jack chuckled. "I think it's the other way around. You whack a punch with that cane of yours."

"Oh yeah I'm such a threat to society," Bridget's tone heavy with sarcasm. "Beware of blind girls who talk to imaginary creatures. They're a threat to society."

Their laughter filled the cold night as both teenagers walked through the empty streets.

* * *

The moon was halfway up in the sky with the Man in the Moon seemingly deciding to have it look crescent that night. The lunar gaze illuminated the hill Jack and Bridget were climbing. The mortal human's breathing grew rapid as they kept walking. "Why exactly are we going up on a hill?" She then quickly added, "Not that I am sure the view up here is lovely is just I was aware you can call your wind to fly where ever you are. So what's with the climbing?"

"My wind can't always work with me when I'm not high up." Jack sighed. "It's also the main reason it took me so long to get back after looking for Jamie's friends. I don't know why but after fighting those birds made me feel weird for a while."

Bridget nodded in affirmation. "I know what you mean. When one of those crows flew down on me I almost felt like I didn't want to be cheerful again."

Before Jack could say anything to that he heard a strange noise coming from up the hill. "Get near me."

Bridget paled. "What?"

"Get near me I hear something ahead of us."

When Bridget started to hear the noise too she listened to his order and inched closer to be near him. _"Again with the close contact," _Jack groaned mentally.

A few minutes passed and the noises receded. "I think we're-" The Guardian was silenced when a hairy arm grabbed forward and lifted them both off the ground. "Hey!" Jack protested while he kicked the air.

"Durbfa wahla," Bridget recognized it was the yetis' language from her earlier encounter with them.

"Oh not again," Jack groaned that left Bridget confused at the choice of words. The yetis shoved the two into a red sack. They didn't seem to notice the extra body with Jack yet.

"Ow," Bridget groaned. "Jack, get your foot outta my face!"

"Get your face off of my foot," he offered with a cocky tone.

Outside the bag the first yeti took out a snow globe and then smashed it on the ground, saying, "Durtal bardla burdlew!" An image of the North Pole was shown before the smashing and a magic portal opened in front of them.

* * *

"_What a wonderful way to become reintroduced to claustrophobia again. Yippe!"_

If there was one thing Bridget hated more than bullies, snarky teachers, social workers, kidnapping birds, and trolls (not the internet ones, but the ones that steal your socks, they DO too exist!) was being shoved in a small space and going in through an even smaller space. What made it even worse was that she was way~ too close to Jack. The last thing she wanted was another closet incident all over again. But just the feeling of being cramped up began it quickly ended in less of a second.

The descent was abrupt as Bridget collided with Jack and a very solid surface. She was still for a moment; waiting for her heart to stop pounding at her ribs as she heard muffled voices. She heard Jack sigh in relief, "Relax, these guys come in peace."

He dragged himself out of the bag and a reluctant Bridget soon joined him.

The outside of the bag was less muted and Bridget heard the familiar sounds of hammers, saws and the occasional jingling of bells. She was back in North's workshop. That or a Chinese factory but that sounded very unlikely.

"Jack," the Russian's voice rung. "It's good to see you and-the leetle girl is here too?! Phil, why did you and Yaloo bring her here?"

"A human?" A rough Australian voice spoke. "And why is this one the same age as Frost? Don't tell me were recruiting more teenagers now."

"She looks nice to me," a kind, womanly voice chimed. "And I bet her teeth are lovely too"

"Ding…Ding-Ding!"

"See Sandy agrees with me."

"What's going on?" Bridget finally asked. Another thing she hated was people talking about her but not saying anything directly towards her. "Who are these other people here North, Jack?"

"…Crikey, did she just-" "It's just like what North said!"

"Nobody's answering my question because…" Bridget felt a cold arm wrap around her shoulder. _"Too close, too close!" _

"I can answer that," Jack sounded rather smugly. "Bridget I'd like to introduce you to the other Guardians of Childhood. The Sandman, Tooth Fairy, and of course, the Spring Bunny."

"Easter Bunny, you gumby." The Australian voice spoke up.

Bridget's eyebrows nearly vanished up her red hair. "Wait-you-you mean all of them are here? Right now, in this very room, with me?"

"Yeah they are and-" Bridget was certain what Jack was going to say was important but she was far too busy with fainting from shock at that moment.

* * *

**Q-A: **Okay I know the ending was bit of a cop-out when I promised Bridget would met the Guardians but I worked all week on this chapter and if I wrote more it would have made me finish it buy Sunday. And I'm way too paranoid for you all to wait until then. I hoped you like this chapter. And I swear some answers will come in the next one Along with the villain finally introduced. Yay!

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	6. Signaling is Fun!

**Q-A:** Sorry that the last chapter didn't exactly answer a lot of thing but THIS is the one where you'll get some answers finally and Bridget will get a proper introduction of the Guardians. :D

Disclaimer: Bridget is mine (For now) while places and people owned by DreamWorks and William Joyce are theirs.

* * *

_~Signaling is Fun!~_

While already being blind Bridget was very much use to seeing only darkness, so adding unconsciousness to the mix didn't make much of a difference. But still, the feeling of darkness frightened her, for she had that fear for nearly- "I think she's waking up." The woman's voice from before spoke with a clear humming sound behind her.

"Naw, she's probably coming in and out." The gruff Australian denied.

"…"

"No Sandy she is not having bad dream. Leetle girl has no black sand on her." That voice belonged to North; Bridget held no doubt about that. Even when he whispered it could still shake a boatyard. Bridget groaned slightly and blinked once. Yep, everything was still inky darkness, but it was the inky darkness she was use to.

"'Bout time she woke up." Mr. Gruffy declared.

"Oww," Bridget slightly touched the back of her head and winced. "Why does my head have a bruise on it?"

If Bridget could see she would've noticed the uneasy look on Jack. "That was my bad." He admitted. "When you fainted I wasn't able to hold on to you and well…"

"Are you trying to say I'm fat?" An angry look appeared on the redhead's face.

Jack's eyes widen. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that. Please, I didn't mean to get you angry."

"Who said I was being angry?" Bridget smiled innocently and batted her eyelashes.

Jack's jaw nearly dropped. "Wha-wha-"

Mr. Gruffy snorted with laughter. "HA! This Seppo's got a sense of humor. I'll give her that much."

"I told you she vas special." North said convincingly.

"So how long was I out?" Bridget asked after she sat up. She felt her surroundings and assumed she was sitting on a couch or a large chair knowing North and his yetis.

"At least twelve minutes." Came North's answer.

"Odd, it felt a lot longer than that." Bridget mused.

"I hope we didn't scare you." The woman voice said with the odd sound of chirps surrounding her.

"Um, no I'm fine." Bridget insisted. "I was just absorbing the whole idea that I was in a room full of the very beings that literality represent childhood and they saw me coming out of a bag." She held her right shoulder in embarrassment before adding, "Not exactly my best entrance."

"It's no matter, we overlook." North said with sincerity. "Why don't I give you proper introductions? Bridget, you already know Jack Frost and myself."

"And there's me, The Easter Bunny. Just call me Bunny." Mr. Gruf-Bunny stepped in.

Bridget soon heard what sounded like a large hummingbird's wings and small chirps. "Hello Bridget, I'm the Tooth Fairy, but I'm usually called Tooth. North told us a lot about you. But nothing on your teeth." She said it all in one breath.

"My teeth?" Bridget was only able to hear a third of what Tooth had said and the last part sounded strange.

"Oh~ let me see!" Bridget didn't have time to react before she found her mouth forced open, Tooth's fingers probing around inside.

"Hmm, they're not nearly white as Jack's but very good for human standards and-Oh~ look at how pink her gums are, such great flossing there and-OH MiM! She still has her wisdom teeth! Not many people your age still have them." Tooth ended with a knowing tone. The sound of little chirps filled the air as Tooth removed her fingers. "Now girls please," she reprimanded gently. "Let's not disgrace the uniform with you all squealing."

Bridget had a look on her face that was a cross between shock and pure amazement. "'The heck? My mouth was examined by the Tooth fairy. And you said 'girls', there are more of you?" Her tone went a little higher than normal.

Tooth nodded, "Yes they're my little Mini-fairies. They help me with collecting all of the teeth in the world." She ended while the sound of small chirps and little wing flaps could be heard.

Bridget stated as if to get a hold on the situation. "The Tooth fairy touched my mouth and she has an army of tiny fairies. The Easter Bunny talks like he's from Down Under. Should I be happy or freaking out now? 'Cause I have no ability to think clearly at the moment."

"Relax," Jack comforted her. "Think of it as an initiation. Tooth did the same thing to me. And Bunny always talks like that."

"And being shoved in a sack?"

'That one vas my idea! Though I did not think you vould be vith Jack, it being nighttime and all." North admitted. "Last but not lest, ve have the Sandman." He gestured toward a smaller man that was sleeping. "Sandy-Sandy, VAKE UP!"

The little man opened his brown-gold eyes. When he saw Bridget he gave the girl a wave, which made some of his body literally jingle.

"Why am I hearing bells? It doesn't sound like the ones the elves have on their heads." Bridget moved her head around, as if it would help hear the jingling better.

"That vould be Sandy. I'm afraid he can't speak for himself for he cannot talk, you see."

"So this guy has a disability too huh? Him and me might get along." Bridget falsely smiled, trying to hide the anguish inside. It was bad enough she couldn't see any of them but now she couldn't hear one of them too?

"Vondeful to hear!" North clapped in contentment, completely unaware of the girl's real emotions. "Now let's begin with important matters."

"Good~ because Jack and I have a couple of things to say to you." Bridget stated with her arms akimbo. She wanted to know why the other Guardians weren't anywhere near Burgess during the incident.

"Funny, we were about to do the same thing with Frosty too." Bunny's tone was rigid.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Jack asked incredulously. His body tensed as he gripped his staff protectively.

"For somebody that promise to take his job seriously mate. You've not been to any Guardian meetings in the last four months, you keep freezin' places all willy-nilly, and while you were off playing with ankle-biters-" "Hey I wasn't around because those meetings weren't exactly fun and maybe I'm freezing so I can get more believers, and who said it was bad to play with kids." Jack had his face really close to Bunny's. "If it weren't for me you wouldn't even-"

"Dudes, what's your problem?" Bridget somehow walked between both Guardians and had crossed her arms in distaste. She shook her head and used her cane to distance the Guardians.

"Jamie said to me he thought you two had some sort of rivalry, but I didn't think you'd guys be this awful that you were listing down stuff the other guy did wrong. C'mon, both of you are on the same team for pity sake! You protect kids and do everything to keep them safe. While you keep arguing, five kids out there are going to be less safer with every passing second." She took deep breaths and loosened her grip on the long cane. Her knuckles were nearly white from clasping so hard. The two Guardians had dejected looks and winced after absorbing the girl's words.

"Vhat do you mean by 'five children our out there?'" North asked. "Bridget could you tell us?"

Bridget sighed and nodded. It took some time to explain how the day went and remembering most of what happened. Whatever Bridget forgot something important; Jack went in added what he knew. They told from how they met (exactly how it happened made Bunny sinker at Jack's naïvety, which earned the rabbit a frozen bum.). Bridget added her talks with North, to the confrontation with the birds (by that time Tooth looked she was ready to cry).

"After what felt like forever with the climbing, Jack said he heard something then next thing I knew the yetis came in. Then one trip through a magic portal later, Jack and I are back here with you all of you." She quietly decided to not mention the closet incident; the last thing Bridget wanted was there to be more awkwardness.

Silence filled the room as Bridget assumed that the Guardians were trying to grasp what they had just learned. Tooth sat on a wooden stool with some of her fairies near her side for comfort, Sandy made a half-heart sand image of a little boy playing, and it faded away just as soon as it was created. North looked the most anguish with mumbling how horrible the situation was, that it was too close to Christmas for this to happen.

"To think the little ankle-biter and 'er brother were almost taken." Bunny whispered with his ears drooped down.

Bridget knelt down near the dejected rabbit and said comfortably, "You're talking about Jamie and Sophie right. She said 'hi' just to let ya know."

Bunny's green eyes held renewed softness at the mention of the 'ankle-biter's' name. "How's she doing?"

"Up until today, great and she misses you." Bridget put her hand in her left coat pocket and fished a piece of paper out. "I think she placed this in my jacket before I left...it's for you think."

Bunny took the parchment breathed out a sigh when he looked at it. The paper had a picture of him and Sophie painting Easter eggs. It was crudely drawn but the message and thought put into was all that really mattered. Sophie still believed in the Easter Bunny after all those months.

"Aww," Tooth cooed while floating behind Bunny's shoulder. "It such a cute drawing."

"It's real nice," Jack commented. "Reminds me a little of Jamie's work."

"Well he did help with some of the shading." Bridget confessed. Bunny looked at the drawing with a strong emotion building up inside him. "At least that's what he told me right after it was made."

"We've got to save those kids," Bunny declared. "Them and the rest."

Jack was about to ask what Bunny meant by the rest when North cut in. "Yes! The children's Christmas must not get soiled by kidnapping."

"Christmas?" Bunny shook his head in disbelief. "When did a holiday become more important than the lives of children?"

"Christmas is important to children!" North defended.

"And I'm guessing Easter…"

"Is not Christmas." North finished haughtily.

Bunny looked like he just about had it as he and North went into an argument over their respected holidays. Tooth went into business mode and ordered her fairies to retrieve teeth whenever she felt the presence of one free and loose. "One molar, Phoenix, 58640. Tokyo, two incisors, Ota-oh~ and it's their first lost teeth too~"

"So much for that nice moment." Bridget grumbled at Jack's direction only for her to feel his space empty.

"Sorry but there's something I gotta do," Jack said appearing behind Bridget, much to her surprise. "Phil's carrying some paint buckets and I want pay him back for that hot bucket of water over a door trick he pulled on me last month. Couldn't walk through doors for two weeks."

"But…" Bridget didn't get to finish as Jack left and she was alone.

Bridget sighed as she felt around for something to lean on and found a wooden railing. She slid down and rubbed her face from exhaustion. _"I really need to sleep more," _Bridget thought blankly. A random thought but it was true as she realized she hadn't sleep since the other day. God that felt like days-no-months ago from all of what have happened.

To think she woke up that morning, went to school for four hours before the announcement of the school district being closed with the snow coming down. Bridget recalled how everyone left in a snap before the teachers would even hand out the exam reviews. She took one knowing the finals would be killer without them. When she left the school she heard kids playing around and teens pelting snowballs at one another. None of them offered for her to join them. But that didn't bother her; Bridget was use to being alone.

Bridget was far from being a loner though. It was more of an old cliché, but most of her schoolmates didn't really see any reason to talk with the new girl, especially with her being blind. Which was why when she bumped into Jack she almost couldn't believe a guy her age was talking to her willing and showing no signs of sympathy (she already got that from lawyers and strangers, she didn't want to hear any more of it). Granted he was recovering from the shock of her touching and hearing him but she didn't know he wasn't a normal human or human at all to be technical. He was immortal.

Jack was** the **Jack Frost, bringer of snow, icy winds, and from what she learned recently a Guardian too. But seeing how he was playing a trivial prank at that moment didn't really help Bridget with her high opinion towards him anymore. The same with the rest of the Guardians for that matter, how could the Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny argue when there were kids in danger? At least Tooth was doing something productive, even if she could have tried to break up the fight. But it didn't matter to Bridget right now. She was not much of help either; they would have not noticed her even if she tried. The redhead would be ignored like always and she was totally fine with-DING. Bridget turned her head to her right when she felt a presence.

* * *

Sandy was finishing a third helping of eggnog when he noticed the teenager sitting by herself. Being a silent person Sandy could be just about anywhere without people seeing him. It gave him time to observe and analyze like things and people. Sometimes when he was done with a town, Sandy would watch the people below him from his cloud of dreamsand. He even (admittedly) watched Jack Frost for a long time and eventually went on good terms with the other after a few decades observing.

Seeing Bridget reminded Sandy of how sad and lonely Jack first looked. Her eyes held a sense of longing, like a child wanting to be comforted. While he was the oldest of the Guardians his time with children was even more limited than the other Guardians. For MiM's sake Sandy didn't have an army of yetis, fairies or eggs to help with his workload and he had to do it every single night! He quickly realized that his thoughts weren't helping the girl and decided to sit next to her. If he couldn't talk with her, he would at least give the sad girl company.

The instant Sandy sat near Bridget she felt warmth cover her body. All of the negative thoughts and feelings went away like a…bad dream.

"Is that you Sandman?" Bridget asked with anticipation. Sandy nodded which made ringing noises and Bridget assumed that meant 'yes'.

"I really wish I knew what you are saying. You must have a lot to say I bet." Sandy shrugged his shoulders, which again made a ring.

"Too bad, but hey at least you can see. I never had the pleasure of that. And you could be made out of sand for all I know or wearing a napping cap or-" While she went on Sandy noticed that the moon had come into view through a window in the ceiling. The moon's rays shined brightly, filling the Globe Room with moonlight. He dropped the cup he was holding and tried to signal to the other Guardians with his dreamsand images, but they weren't paying attention.

Bridget stopped mid-sentence when she heard rapid ringing and sworn she felt sand raining down oh her lap. She knew it was sand from remembering her old trips to the beach and how rough the sand felt. She also knew not to touch the Sandman from the warnings Jamie gave her about the Guardian's sand causing you to instantly fall asleep.

"Hey Sandy, what are you trying to-No wait before you do anything why don't we work on a signaling method?"

Sandy made a confused look and by force of habit made a question mark image above his head. He gave her the benefit of the doubt and decided to listen.

"Whenever you 'say'," she air quoted, "'yes' just make that jingling noise twice so I'll know. And if it is a 'no' just do it once. Does that sound okay?"

One moment's pause and Bridget clearly heard two rings. Bridget face blossomed into a lovely smile. "Perfect! Now what is it you want to say? Oh, no wait, Yes or No questions. Right." She paused for a second and asked, "Do you want to say something to me or to the Guardians? Me is one ding and the Guardians two."

DING DING! "Okay then. I think I know how to get their attention."

* * *

Bunny was ready to ring North's neck when his ears heard the most MiM awful noise imaginable. High-pitch whistling. Tooth covered her ears as the sound rose and her fairies cluttered toward her. A colorful Phil had Jack in a headlock until a shrill echoed his ears making him remove Jack and causing the later to fall on the ground. They all turned their heads to the source of the resonance and were astonished to see Bridget making the whistle. She kept blowing for another few seconds and then removed the two fingers that were in her mouth.

"_That was kinda fun," _Bridget mused until remembering her reason for the whistling. "Sandy here wants to tell you guys something." Right after she said that Sandy formed an image of a crescent moon above his head and pointed towards the opened window.

"Aah! Man in Moon!" exclaimed North after he looked to where Sandy was pointing. "Sandy, why didn't you say something?"

"Because you all were too busy doing your own things to notice." Bridget defended while frowning. Sandy matched her expression but crossed his arms.

"Oh Sandy we didn't mean to not notice you," Tooth said sadly. "We all know better than to take advantage of that."

The look on Sandy melted and he gave his fellow Guardians a thumb's up in appreciation. Bridget smiled as well, pleased to have mended at least one thing so far.

"It has certainly been a busy year old friend, but tell us of this new threat that has been harming children." North commanded gently while the rest watched.

"What exactly does he mean by that?" Jack asked Bunny after he left the yeti's grip.

Bunny shushed him as the rabbit stared intensely at the ground. The ground that everyone-minus Bridget-looked upon had an ornate symbol of the letter 'G' which was the Guardians' symbol and sign. Moonlight shined the surface as a shadowy image began to form.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" Bridget asked. "'Cause I seriously have no idea what's going on."

"MiM is showing us something." North explained, not even looking up from the floor.

Bridget fought the urge to roll her eyes at the vague answer. "Well that clarifies everything."

Jack flew over to the redhead and whispered, "'MiM' is Man in the Moon for short and we're all looking at these images he's showing us."

"Great more images," Bridget grumbled.

"No worries, I'll tell you what we see."

"Manny, who has been harming children?" North asked again with slight urgency.

"It's gotta be Pitch," Bunny called out. "Who else would go after kids like this?"

"But he never kidnapped children. Or at least from what I remembered." Tooth recalled.

The shadows finished shifting and much to the Guardians' surprise didn't see Pitch Black, the boogeyman at all.

"A woman?" Jack's tone full of astonishment, he didn't know there were female boogeymen or would it be boogeywomen?

"Sure it's not Pitch?" Bunny asked aloud.

North shook his head. "No, and there is no Lady Pitch, as far as I know."

"Unless the Nightmare King is a 'Queen' in secret? It would make sense with his dress-" Jack began. "Oh don't you start cracking jokes at a time like this." Bridget said in disgust. "The fates of children are on the line here."

Jack pouted and crossed his arms while Bunny stifled a laugh. It was official; the Shelia was his favorite person in the room at the moment.

"The voman vears a cloak out of…leaves?" North profiled slightly.

"No, no! I think those are feathers." Tooth exclaimed. "Trust me I know these things." Her Mini-fairies chirped in agreement.

"She is now vith birds. Birds everywhere. They now circle globe and are taking children."

"Whoa hold up!" Jack shouted. "Is this why you guys are here? This lady took children all over the world?"

Tooth nodded, her plumage shaking with worry. "We learned about this only a few hours ago from Sandy and my fairies."

"Shh," North hushed. "Manny has more to show."

"What is he showing?" Bridget asked.

"The kids are in…" Bunny cursed under his breath, "In cages, they're all in cages."

Jack held his staff with a stronger grip then ever before, as the others looked just as displeased too. "That woman looks like she's laughing up a storm. Gloating." Bunny observed with anger.

North's scowl soon turned away and a grin appeared. "Ah but there ve are. Ready to be kicking of the butt of her."

"Does anyone else see there are two of me in the image?" Jack inquired while pointing. He did see another boy looking like his physical age and even had a crook staff. _"Humph, poser." _Jack thought.

"And…Bridget is there too?" Tooth gasped. The Guardians did indeed see her in the picture, with her long cane to her braided hair. For a second they all looked over at the redhead and confirmed it was indeed she.

Bridget paled and wheezed, "I-I what?"

"You're in image." North said curtly.

"Th-that can't be-I mean I'm not-" "You are in the picture." Jack said firmly.

"And vith us," North continued without missing a beat. "Ve bring out four objects." He eyebrows furrowed as he focused in on them. "A sword, spear, cauldron…and rectangle?"

"I have no bloody clue what that last one is," Bunny acknowledged.

"I think it's a rock." Tooth concluded. Sandy nodded in agreement and made an image of the rock above his head to emphasize their point.

"Ve bring objects together in circle and out of circle comes a…ok I can't explain next image vell." North stated in confusion.

"Looks like some weird looking four pointed star to me." Jack scrutinized. "It even has lines around it like it's glowing."

"And we're using the star against the woman." Tooth said cheerfully. "We have her cornered and-ZAP! She's gone."

"Gone?" Bridget arched an eyebrow.

"Gone," North finished off. He clapped in affirmation. "Vell now ve know had to fight new threat."

"A little convenient if you ask me." Jack thought aloud while looking at MiM.

"Yeah but we still have no bloody idea who this Sheila is." Bunny pessimistically said. "Or where she's at."

"Why am I in the picture?" Bridget asked.

"We'll need to search anything we know about cloak wearing women who control birds." Tooth then ordered her fairies to look for any teeth belonging to any women fitting that description.

"Why am I in the picture?"

"Should we look for clues?" Jack suggested. "Bridget and I found black feathers those crows left."

"Why am I in the picture?"

"Ve'll need to get started right away-" "WHY AM I IN THE PICTURE!?" Bridget panted after shouting with all of the power of her lungs.

"Seriously, doesn't anyone care about what I think?" Bridget asked while gesturing to herself. "This MiM guy totally implied that I'm there with you guys too."

"As it vould seem." North stroked his beard in consideration. "But if Manny says so that it is true. You vill help us save children of world!"

The color drained from Bridget's face. "All of the children?"

"Well yes and sort of no," Tooth answered in uncertainty. She guided the redhead toward the large globe that the workshop surrounded, every continent flickering with golden lights. "North has this Globe that on it has lights that represent every child that believes in us."

"Okay," Bridget murmured, trying to get the idea. "So what are there not that many lights any more or…"

"Oh there are lights alright, but not the ones we like to have a Captain's Cook at." Bunny responded as he stood near the girls.

"He means to look at," Tooth explained to Bridget.

"So what are they?" Bridget asked.

"In every continent, there are seven lights that flicker red." North explained. "Normally they are gold, but red, vell that can only mean…"

"Their lives are in danger." Jack finished, not liking what he concluded.

"So wait, do you mean other kids were taken just like Jamie's friends and seven were kidnapped from every continent?" Bridget looked around helplessly.

"All except for the South Pole of course," Bunny said. "But so far only five in North America, everywhere else; seven."

"So we can assume it's no coincidence." Tooth translated for Sandy.

"But why only five in…" Jack's eyes widened with fear. "Oh MiM, don't tell the five were Jamie's friends and the other two were suppose to be-" "That SCUT!" Bunny swore while sputtering more serious curses that Tooth didn't bother translating.

"Both Jamie and the ankle-biter? Now that crow lady has gone too far."

"But what would the 'crow lady' want to do with children?" Bridget asked while Bunny hopped around angrily.

"Ve do not know yet." North said with honesty. "But once ve figure who she is and vhat she vants, the six of us vill give crow lady-" "Hold it!" Bridget shouted. "What do you mean all six of us?"

"…"

"Sandy you're not helping. I mean what the hell'ibut are you guys trying to say? I'm supposed to help you out? No, no way I'm not qualified for stuff like rescues." Bridget gestured toward her eyes and cane to explain her point.

"Manny thinks so." North. "He picks us all for reason."

"Yeah but that's you guys not me." Bridget sighed as walked around. "You're all about bringing joy to kids and giving them gifts. I never made one gift in my life. Plus, you're all immortal, legendary Guardians; I'm just a teenager, ready to get outta high school. And let's not forget that I'm blind. How am I supposed to help if I can't even see my own hands in front of me?" She waved her hands near her face.

The Guardians watched on unable to find an answer to the girl's explanations. Jack's gaze was the most intense as he slowly figured out what Bridget was doing. She was trying to build a wall around her and go on the defensive side. He remembered how he first did that.

"Trust me it'd be a whole lot better if you guys picked someone else. And if this Man in the Moon guy finds out tell 'im it was my idea. It's not like I can tell anyone anyways. I'm sure there's some other believer that's reached puberty by now who can fight and see."

The Guardians looked at each other uneasily and remained silent. "Okay an awkward silence. Please don't tell me you're about to say something really unexpected."

"Bridget," North began calmly. "There is reason I call you special. You are first child over the age of twelve to still believe in us sincerely." Jack was shocked to hear this. He had no idea Bridget was the only one.

"And the last one was?" Bridget turned her head slightly, already regretting what she asked.

"115 years," Tooth answered with her feathers drooping while some of her fairies sighed in anguish.

"Thanks to all of them World Wars and techno gadgets, most teens your age think of us as idiotic fairy tales." Bunny added bitterly. "We can only get kids to believe in us these days. Them being less cynical, ya know."

"Well that sucks." Bridget bit her inner cheek. "But I really can't help you. All I came here was to know how you would save the kids. Then I'd go back and we all part ways as magic creatures and teenaged girl who abnormally believes in them."

More silenced fallowed as Bridget decided to take her leave. "Now if you excuse me, I'm gonna go ask a yeti to find me a convenient balcony to sulk at. Thank you and goodnight."

Much to both the mortal and the Guardians' surprise two yetis, Phil and Yaloo, escorted her to a balcony. Most likely they were trying to make up for shoving her in a sack earlier. She did ask them a few questions of course.

"Which one of you guys is Phil again?" The brown yeti covered in paint to Bridget's right grunted. "Oh okay then. Did you know this kid I know, Jamie, has been obsessing over finding a Bigfoot also named Phil for the last six months? Told me the guy signed his book and everything."

The odd three left the Globe room leaving the Big 5 to go over the situation.

"Well that went well." Bunny deadpanned, after being the first to break the silence.

"It could've gone a lot better." Tooth admitted, her fairies nodding in condolence.

"I vould've thought Leetle Girl be overjoyed to help us." North scratched his head, bewildered.

Jack shook his head and turned to his fellow Guardians, stunned. "Really guys, is this how you deal with teenagers?"

"Ve have not been with adolescents in a long time." North said. "You are first we ever spoke vith in over-"

"A hundred years I get it. But I'm not a good example seeing how I'm just like you guys. Bridget she's-she's different. She didn't have any real family all her life, is sarcastic and she 'loves'"-Jack used air quotes-"reminding us that she's blind. Also she just found out for sure that we all exist on the same day, children she knew and cared about were kidnapped and two weren't. That's a lot for anyone to take in… Trust me I know from experience."

The others grimaced at that last part.

"Perhaps you can say something to her." North suggested.

Jack did a double take. "What?"

"Makes sense to me," Bunny said in confirmation. "Who else can talk to a teen than you Frost."

"Um, no there's no way-" "Please Jack," Tooth urged while clasping her hands. "You know her better than we do and the last thing we want is to be on bad terms with out first teenaged believer in 115 years. Do it for the children." Her pink, amethyst eyes glistened as her Mini-fairies clasped their hands too and pleaded with the winter spirit. Even Sandy looked implored as he stood near the teeth collectors.

Despite being literally cold, Jack was easily be melted by Tooth's begging look. While groaning Jack gave in. "Fine, I'll go and talk to her."

The Mini-fairies cheer as Jack talked over them. "But if you hear screaming. That I'll sadly admit is me running from Bridget's cane. Thought you'd like to know North that the cane can be used as a blunt weapon. Seriously that thing is made out of steel or something."

"Don't be out too long mate," Bunny said with a snicker.

Jack carried his staff and stalked out of the room. It was times like those he wished he was invisible again.

* * *

It didn't take too long for Jack to find where Bridget was. The only balcony he knew of was a few floors up and was fairly secluded from anywhere else. He smirked when he remembered the few times he'd try to bust in the workshop through that spot, only for Phil to be one step ahead of him and throw the winter spirit off.

Phil was there, guarding the doors to the terrace with his upper fur covered in a rainbow of paint, looking rather peeved. Jack winced and thought how mean his prank might've been to the yeti. He flew over to the abominable snowman. The moment Phil saw the Guardian he made a fist in his hand and grunted irately. Phil really didn't want to see him that's for sure.

"Look I know you're in a bad mood right now and I can't blame you." Jack held his hands up in defense. "And I'll make it up to you later, but right now Bridget out there needs me to make it up to her. And I'll admit the bucket prank you did on me was classic, even if it did hurt a little from the water. But to be honest, only my pride was the thing that got bruised." He placed his staff on the ground and offered a hand as an offering. "Can we just let it go for now?"

Phil looked at Jack's free hand. Then back at Jack. Then the hand again. Then Jack. _"Man I really hope I know what I'm-"_ Jack didn't' get to finish his thought when he was embraced by a painted yeti who grunted apologetically. "Okay, okay I forgive you too buddy. Please let go now you're crushing some vital organs, I think." Jack struggled for breath.

Phil removed himself off of the boy and gave him one last pat before stepping aside for Jack to pass through. He did give Jack a playful 'I'm watching you' before the white-haired hooligan walked through.

* * *

Cold air blew all over Bridget while leaned on the railing. The view of the canyon and icy landscape was beautiful but of course Bridget could see none of it. She sighed as her red bangs moved around her eyes. She tilted her head up towards the sky; the moon was still there with its crescent appearance.

"You know moon, you have a great way of telling people's destinies you know that," Bridget complained. "I mean c'mon I was having a good day up until meeting Jack. Granted it was bland and boring but I'm used to having days like that, not all this, this-I have no clue what to call this. How could I help save 40 children, 35 of them I don't even know." She sighed, as the moon remained unchanged. She didn't want to sound like she was whining, but she had no idea what else to do.

"I never asked for anything like this. Sure the idea of going on an adventure sounds fun but reading about them and doing them are two different things. It's not like I'm living in Middle Earth or Narnia, no I'm clearly in Harry Potter's world where magic exists but muggles don't know about it. Well if you haven't noticed I'm a muggle and not a witch with Mary-Sue-esque powers to save the day right one cue. That's not the sort of person I am. Then again I have no idea what sort of person I am. You better give me a good reason to why you picked me, pal or I'll agree to vote any dumbass laws that mentions nuking the moon in the near future when I'm 18."

"Gee, I didn't mean to make ya mad," a voice heavy with sarcasm spoke behind her. "I didn't' intend to bump into any fiery redheads to begin with."

Bridget shook her head. "Fiery, Frosty? Really? That's the best you can come up with."

Jack smiled smugly and walked up to the railing. "Oh trust me, my jokes get more hilarious once you know me better." He rested his arms on the bar as cold air blew comfortably on his face. It was nice to be out in the cold again.

"Oh I bet they are." Bridget rolled her gray eyes. "I sure all of the girls go crazy for 'em, oh wait I forgot I'm the only you ever talked to apparently."

Jack made a feeble shrug. "I never really noticed up until now but yeah, you're the first."

"Glad I'm such a huge accomplishment for ya."

"Okay what's your problem? Why are you acting like this?"

"Seriously, do you have any idea what I'm going through?" Bridget asked darkly. "I am miles away from home, been told I'm this 'chosen one,' and I have to break my promise with Jamie and Sophie and go with you guys?"

"You wouldn't be breaking any promises if you return to them eventually."

"Yeah but what if I don't." Bridget turned her head away worriedly. "I'm not like you and the other Guardians Jack, I can seriously die."

Jack looked at the girl with sympathy and knew where she was going at. There were many moments when he almost thought he was dead. "Well so can we. If we lose believers, we start to get weak and fade." He noticed her shocked expression but continued talking. "I get where talking about. But just so you know, you're not the only one that was reluctant at first."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I wanted nothing to do with the Guardians when I first met them."

That got Bridget's attention. "Seriously?"

"Sure, I felt like I was unworthy and stuff because I didn't know who I was at the time."

Bridget's eyes held a glint of reminiscence for a second but then it went away. "I had no idea. For how long-" "300 years. I only knew my name because the moon told me so."

"He didn't say anything else?" Bridget held her breath.

"Yes, but he had his reasons and it worked out great in the end. I found out my memories, defeated Pitch, became a Guardian, and got Jamie as my first believer." He smiled wistfully.

Bridget turned her head as if to stare at her hands. "How did you get your memories back?" She asked curiously.

Before Jack could answer the two balcony doors barged open and Bunny came out right at the two teens. "Listen mates, you need to come with me to the Globe Room now. We had some trouble."

* * *

The three them were back at the Globe before any questions were asked. When they got there Jack noticed right away how worried North looked. And he never looked worried, even in the face of danger. He barked orders all toward his yetis to keep doors and widows sealed, along with securing the area. It was the police scene at Burgess all over again.

"What's going on?" Bridget seemed to have voiced what Jack thought.

"Those black birds you and Jack described, one of them was here." Tooth said with anxiety. Her Mini-fairies fluttering with distress along side her.

"A crow was here!" Jack exclaimed.

"And it talked too."

"Birds can talk?" Bridget asked. "Since when?"

"Trust us Shelia, we were just as shocked as you when it starting sputtering out nonsense at us." Bunny replied as he stocked up some of his boomerangs.

"NO! No nonsense." North thundered after pounding his hands on the Globe's control panel. "It spoke of harming children who know no fear."

"No, no fear?" Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"He means children who never knew what fear is." Tooth corrected. "But that can only mean one place."

"Ve must go to Santoff Claussen. Now!"

Jack looked around obviously confused. "But I thought this was."

"No, THE Santoff Claussen village. It is in danger. Ve must go to eastern Siberia at once."

"Eastern Siberia?" Bridget's jaw nearly dropped. "That's way too far from Burgess. I'm still on the fence of this whole thing-" "Ve'll need to get sleigh ready and shipshape." North ordered his yetis and they gave salutes in return.

"-I'm not going with you on-Wait did you say sleigh?" The look on Bridget's face made Jack almost laugh.

North nodded. "Sleigh is only way to travel. And most classy." He ended with a twinkle in his eye, earning him an eye-roll from Bunny.

Bridget stared blankly at the Guardian of Wonder for a second until sighing in defeat. "Fine, I'll go, to Siberia but then Burgess. If it means no traveling through stomach churning-portals that's fine with me." Bridget said the last part quietly to herself. Jack did have a point about her coming back to Burgess whenever and-Oh hell with it, she wanted to ride on the freakin' sleigh. How many muggles got to that she would ask. And meeting the reindeer was a defiant must.

"Everyone loves the sleigh," was North's only reply as the six of them prepared to leave.

* * *

Darkness surrounded the cold, damp underground of a football field sized lair as a cloaked woman sat on a raised stone throne half broken from years of neglect. The humidity did not seem to bother the woman as she listened to her general, Killian, cawed about the recent battle. Her red eyes shifted with revulsion from the news.

"I see," her voice sounded as though three women spoke in echo. "That was unfortunate. That false Queen's armies have become a nuisance, eh? As for the other fake gods they'll need to be taught a lesson." Her alabaster white skin wrinkled horribly into a wicked smile. "They need to know their place. That Atlantean thief will suffer as well. Throne belongs to Phantom Queen and no one else. Yes, yes, yes! Fire Arrow will fail and throne will be mine, MINE!" Her triple voiced shrieked through the bitter room and Killian and his troops cawed in concord. Crows by the thousands crowed through the room that once held warmth of a previous Crown but was lost like the woman's mind.

The screeching ricocheted across the large space while in cages, small children shivered in fear and felt despair all around them. Only five of them held some hope, hope that was fleeting fast but still smoldered in the inside. The problem for them was how long could those fires continue to burn before they burned out for good?

* * *

**Q-A: **O.O Damn did I write all of that? I think that was more than my last one. Well I hope this explained some things to you guys and gave a good description of the antagonist. And yes she does sound a little over the top but she's a crazy crow lady what did you expect? XD But she'll have some subtle moments here and there but mostly crazy. Pure crazy. Also the wisdom tooth thing came from me. :D I still have mine too.

Seppo= another name Aussie's call Americans.

Scut= Mean person (couldn't find that many Down Under insults to be honest that weren't going to keep my rating 'T' to be honest XD).

Keep on Writin' and Rocking'


	7. A Sleigh Ride Together Vith You

**Q-A: **Here we are with chapter lucky 7! XD We'll be seeing more of Bridget interacting with the Guardians.

* * *

_~A Sleigh Ride Together Vith You~_

The five Guardians and a semi-unwilling human arrived at the sleigh hangar. Yetis and elves scrambled all over the room. Yetis fixing up the sleigh and handling the reindeer, while the elves brushed off huge chunks of loose ice from the sledding track. Just like before Bridget was full of questions.

"What kind of sleigh do you use North? Do you have eight, tiny reindeer? Do they prefer carrots or celery or do they eat their own special oats? How fast does the sleigh go? And will I be fine with wearing my coat and not freeze?" Bridget inquired with fast-paced excitement.

North chuckled a hearty laugh. "Sleigh is special kind, no one else has one. No, I have six **large** reindeer. They like alfalfa. Speed: 1,544 mph at high altitude. And as for needing coat, that vould be a Jack Frost question."

A long pause passed as Bridget blinked in surprise at those answers. Jack stopped floating around long enough to stand near the redhead. "I'll ask the wind to keep you from freezing, don't worry."

Before Bridget could even roll her eyes the sound of two doors opening was heard as the snorting reindeer with their pounding hooves came out. Bridget walked up to the sleigh after it came to a halt and was surprised to discover that it had wings on its sides. "Whoa," was all Bridget could gasp as she touched the polished wood.

North calmed his reindeer down to keep them from running. Bridget heard their bells ringing and stood near the Guardian of Wonder.

"How big are these guys?" Bridget asked while North led her hand to pet one of the antlered caribou. Its fur slipped through her fingers leaving a soft but some-what coarse feeling.

"Imagine Clydesdale-sized deer pulling a sleigh that's a cross between a snowmobile and jet plane." Jack popped in the heck out of nowhere, surprising Bridget and earning a laugh from North.

"Are we going already or not?" Bridget asked impatiently. "You know, the quicker we get there and save the children, the sooner I can go back to Burgess with Jamie's friends." She added automatically, to sound more polite.

"Let's go! Everyone to sleigh!" North exclaimed as Bridget and the rest of the Guardians climbed aboard. North sat upfront and wrapped his arms around the reins, Jack stood near him claiming shotgun, Sandy on the first wooden bench row and Bridget sitting between Tooth and Bunny so she'd have less of a chance of falling off. They secretly decided to not tell the girl of that part. "Ugh, why do we have to do this again?" Bunny complained after sitting down.

"Not a fan of sleighs," Bridget suggested kindly.

"More like heights, Shelia. I'm a bunny, I'm meant to be on solid ground not flying, MiM knows how high up."

Tooth gave Bunny a sympathetic look before adding, "It's been months since he's been in the sleigh."

"Hope it won't be bad for you either." Tooth added to the girl on her left. Bridget smiled, "Nah~ it'll be fine. I've been on plenty of sleds before, this should be okkie-dokkie." Bridget made the sign of her thumb and her index finger pressed together.

"You know Bunny we can do something to past the time so you don't remember we're up in the air." Bridget suggested. She grinned-Mini-fairies cheered-and offered, "How about telling me about your exploits? North told me all of his."

Bunny removed his hands (paws?) from his face and narrowed his eyes. "None of those blowhard's stories are as grand as mine, Shelia."

"Oh I don't know," Bridget fought back a smirk. "He did a lot of pretty cool things," she listed off the events with her fingers, "like discovering Santoff Claussen, befriending the yetis, making Christmas one of the most celebrated holidays in the-" "That's it! I'm gonna tell you everything whether you like it or not."

Bridget had no time to respond when North exclaimed, "Let's go! Clear!"

Elves and yetis scattered to get out of the way as the sleigh headed down a long sledding track. The speed occurred much quicker than Bridget would have expected. She clung to her backpack for comfort while screaming, "This is nothing like a sled at all! ...Why are there no seatbelts?!"

"Out of the way!" North shouted to a few elves as they passed. "Hyah!" He shook the reigns and the reindeer picked up the pace. The sleigh went straight up for a few seconds, and then zoomed straight down. Sandy grinned, Tooth giggled, Bunny groaned, and Jack shouted in delight. North pulled a lever, sending the sleigh into a corkscrew. "Bridget, I hope you don't mind loopty-loops!"

Bridget was no longer wincing, having gone use to the sleigh's speed. She casually replied, "No I don't mind those-Holy shiitake mushrooms!" Bridget yelped as the sleigh spun and she was pushed back to her seat.

"Here ve go!" North called out. The sleigh reached the bottom of the track and shot off the ramp at the end. The sleigh accelerated up into the air and kept climbing up.

"Wooo-hoooo!" Jack raised his arms in the air. He got so excited that he jumped off of the sleigh, causing Bridget to scream in fear only to find he was okay and flying right beside them. He laughed at her scowling face so much that he asked his wind to feed him air so he could still breathe.

"Myxa!" North told the reindeer to fly straight. As if on cue the reindeer stopped ascending and started to fly more leveled.

Once the sleigh was more even Bridget no longer felt the need to grasp her bag. She took a few breaths, to get her breathing in order again. Bridget then felt the same feeling a person gets when they're on a plane. Her stomach did feel rather strange but the feeling went once the sleigh wasn't leaning anymore. Much to her surprise the wind didn't blow as hard as she thought but then quickly remembered Jack's promise.

"_That was nice of him to do that." _She mused and shifted around so she wasn't in her duck-and-cover position anymore.

"So what do you want to know about me?" Bunny asked a few minutes later.

Bridget smiled-Mini-fairies cheering once more-and answered, "Everything."

* * *

Jack laughed in disbelief, "Okay you've got to be lying."

Bunny laughed in good humor. "I'm serious, mate."

It was a good hour into the flight, as the riders got a bit more accustomed into the air. Sandy slept halfway through the Arctic tundra and Tooth gave the occasional order to her Mini-fairies. Jack eventually got tired of flying and sat in the sleigh again, sitting in the rear behind Bridget and Bunny. While Bunny started telling his stories to Bridget, Jack couldn't help but listen and occasionally poke fun at the events Bunny claimed he caused with his apparent time traveling abilities. This was one of those times.

"So you're trying to get Bridget and me to believe that the Earth was originally egg-shaped, but was hurdling toward the sun, due to the gravitational pull." He made sure to use creative hand gestures through his description, setting off Tooth and a reawakened Sandy to laugh. "And, as you put it, 'the planet was going to be cooked like a hard-boiled egg,' so against your 'aesthetic' judgment, you rounded out the Earth into a sphere. And you accomplished that by digging, really?"

"In doing so, he created a number of continents, among them his favorite, Australia." Bridget added. "That explains the accent way too much."

"But what I don't get is if you have the power to time-travel couldn't you have just went back and time to stop Pitch? Or every other bad thing that's happened."

Bunny struggled the urge to glare and replied coolly, "That would've changed history too much and a force above me has forbade me from using my powers for it. It's best just to leave it at that Jack."

Jack's smile turned into a thin line and sat quietly after that. He knew well to not push Bunny too hard. Whatever Bunny didn't want to say it was better to drop the subject.

"So~," Bridget began to change the topic, noticing the tension. "Are you really as fluffy Sophie claims you are?"

Bunny lifted his arm near her hand. "Why don't you have a feel?"

Bridget widened her eyes in surprise. She tentatively placed her fingers stroking from his paw to his elbow. She couldn't believe how plush it was. "It's so soft." Bridget spoke in awe. "And fuzzy." She nearly squealed. "Sorry I just really like soft things." Bridget apologized through a half-muffled mouth.

Jack softly chuckled, finding her innocence rather cute. He flushed violet when he realized how strange his thoughts were turning into lately. He really needed to stop thinking like that.

Bunny rubbed his ears from the slight shrill. "It's fine Shelia, at least you weren't whistling. You had some strong pipes with that last one ya did."

"Ha, you should hear my singing," Bridget replied sarcastically. Her thoughts mulled over and she wanted to ask another question. She turned her head to her right and spoke softly, "Say, uh, Tooth?"

The fairy in question was finished giving out an order and quirked her head and hummed. "Yes."

"I was wondering if what Jamie told was true but…I don't want to sound rude-"

"Go head." Tooth smiled.

"Are you really covered in feathers and look like a hummingbird?" Bridget winced, preparing for the worst.

"Well of course I am." Tooth answered happily. "How else do I fly around and collect teeth?"

Bridget opened her eyes (why she closed them in the first place was a mystery to her) and smiled in relief. The Tooth Fairy wasn't offended by her question. "Oh well, uh, yeah I was just-um." She swallowed nervously. Tooth noticed the girl's fidgeting hands and got the message.

"Do you want to touch my feathers?" Tooth asked in a knowing tone. Some of her fairies chirped excitedly.

With a corner of her mouth quirk into a smile, she nodded. Bridget was much more hesitant this time as she brought her hand slowly toward Tooth's arm. Out of eagerness, one of Tooth's Mini-fairies got a hold of a surprised Bridget's finger and carried the hand to the middle of Tooth's arm right away. The redhead gasped, startled by how smooth the plumage was. She caressed all across the arm and enjoyed the texture the feathers gave. "It's silky and downy-ish if that makes a whole lot of sense." Bridget muttered sheepishly.

"There's no need to be embarrassed." Tooth cooed.

"Your Mini-fairy's hand felt very small." Bridget said in remembrance.

"Would you like to pet one?"

Bridget's eyes couldn't have possibly gotten any wider. "Yeah."

Tooth beamed and called one of her fairies to her. She decided to pick the very same one that lead Bridget's hand, the top golden feathered Mini-fairy, Baby Tooth. Her sisters looked somewhat hesitant to be near the girl. While they did openly admired the girl's number of teeth, they were still anxious from her uproar at the Pole and were afraid of getting her mad. Baby Tooth on the other hand wasn't as edgy, as she had dealt with worse threats than angsty teenagers. She bit the hand of Pitch Black for MiM's sake! But that thought went away when she was on the human's palm.

Baby Tooth's memory of Pitch's strangling grasp came back when she saw the girl bring her other hand toward the fairy. Baby Tooth braced for impact. It never came or at least as hard as she thought. Her heterochromatin eyes widened in shock at how subtle Bridget's touch was. It reminded her of the delicate contact Tooth gave her when she was first born.

"It's almost like touching a baby chick at one of those petting zoos." Bridget reflected on and smiled.

Baby Tooth mirrored that grin and rubbed her little head against Bridget's combined forefinger and index finger. The other fairies that were hiding behind their 'mother' soon noticed the redhead's laughter and realized she wasn't going to be angry at all. Tooth gave them a reassuring nod and the Mini-fairies flew right where their sister was. Bridget was even more thrilled to feel more fairies and gurgled with joy with the new little fairies playing around with her.

Jack once again was bemused at how Bridget was acting. She was laughing while Baby Tooth and her three sisters played on Bridget's hands and one playing around in the girl's red locks. For someone who tried to act like she needed no one, Bridget seemed to revel at the attention she was getting. "_Just like me," _Jack thought with a smile.

"This is something I'll have no trouble remembering." Bridget said while a fairy climbed on her braid. "Petting a fairy will definitely be hard to forget."

Tooth smiled sadly. "To bad we didn't meet when you were younger or you could always have those memories for sure." Bridget scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"When you were younger you would have lost your baby teeth and I'd collect them. All baby teeth hold the most important memories inside them. My fairies and I watch over them, and when someone needs to remember what's most important, we help them. That's why we collect teeth. Which is what makes me the Guardian of Memories." She ended on a triumphant note with her Mini-fairies chirping proudly, including the one in Bridget's hair.

Bridget's mouth turned into a small 'o' before smiling bashfully. "Oh, and I thought it was because you liked them or something." She inwardly frowned when she remembered her childhood memories and winced slightly from the memories.

Tooth giggled. "Of course I like them. I enjoy seeing every tooth my fairies and I collect." She inched closer to Bridget and whispered, "Even the ones with cavities, but don't let the others know that." Bridget laughed. "I won't." The fairies sighed in relief and resumed playing with Bridget.

"Either way I bet they're really cute," Bridget referred to the Mini-fairies. "'Probably get that from their mom too." Both Tooth and her fairies beamed at that one and more excited chirps were heard.

* * *

"How much longer until we get to the village?" Bridget asked North a while handing the sleeping Mini-fairies to Tooth. An hour passed since the sleigh started to fly. Through that time Bridget no longer held any apprehension toward the Guardians. Bunny had affectionately called Bridget the 'Big Ankle-Biter' in honor of her childish attitude toward him. She and Sandy played 'Ask 20 Questions.' By using their 'Yes or No' approach Bridget learned more about the Sandman then she would have thought.

"Yeah wouldn't it have made more sense to use one of your Snow globe portals to get there?" Jack also asked with curiosity. He spent most of the flight observing Bridget's bonding with the Guardians.

North pulled the reins and the reindeer tilted to the right. "Too many barriers," North answered. "Santoff Claussen is vell protected by layers of magic too strong for my Snow globes. Ve'll need to land outside of village to enter and go in by foot."

Bridget sighed, "I knew wearing sneakers would be a bad idea." She wiggled her toes in her blue and yellow shoes to emphasize her point. "So how long 'til we're there?"

"Not too long now." North turned his head around and warned, "All of us must be on guard. I do not know vhat ve vill be facing."

The remaining Guardians held firm looks as they reflected over the information. North lead the reindeer through fog and over mountains. The sleigh was making its descent. Bridget winced from the cold as she crossed her arms and brought her knees under her chin. It may not have been the North Pole, but it was still unbelievably cold. Bunny and Tooth clustered near the redhead so she would feel warmer. She gave her thanks and relished with the slight warmth.

The sleigh continued flying down as the wind blew more around them. Through the wind Jack started to hear the much too familiar sound of cawing and his eyes widened. "Down there!" He ran up to the ledge of the sleigh and pointed to his left. "I can hear the birds.

"спуск!" North ordered his reindeer to fly down.

Almost immediately the Guardians could see black specks dotting the Siberian tundra. Jack squinted and saw right away they were the black crows from before. The black spots grew bigger as the sleigh flew more rapidly and the Guardians prepared to fight. Bridget felt a brawl was going to happen she instinctively went to her backpack for her cane but Jack's cold hand stopped her to it.

"Hey I want to-" "I know," Jack whispered. He unzipped the pack and handed the long cane to her. Bridget gaped until Jack explained, "I knew someone else who wanted to fight and didn't like sitting down while others did all of the confrontation. Even if the person looked like they couldn't do anything they still put up a serious fight."

"And who was that?"

Jack grinned wirily, "Jamie and his friends. And a little bit of me, of course."

North handed the sleigh reigns to Jack.

"Here," he ordered. "Take over."

"But what about-" "Land sleigh so reindeer and Leetle Girl von't get harmed. Fight vhen you are on ground."

Tooth zoomed up into the air while North and Sandy took their charge. North unsheathed his swords and slashed a lone crow in half. "Yah!" North shouted as the crow broke apart and turned into loose black feathers. Sandy made a dream cloud and flew around while whacking birds with his whips.

"These birds are magic," North exclaimed as he observed the lack of remains. "Don't hold back!"

He didn't need to tell the Guardians or Bridget twice as Sandy went Indiana Jones on the birds and kept on whipping. Tooth flew with the grace of a ballet dancer, but with much more deadly precision while using her wings to slice crows. Her Mini-fairies assisted her by targeting smaller crows and coming at them as a team. It kept working until a larger crow came flying straight at them. But before it could get the group, it was hit by one of Bunny's boomerangs when the sleigh flew over.

"Hyah!" Jack yelled, as he dodged some trees. They were already passing through the tree line in the mountains. Bunny leaned near Jack and said warningly, "Make sure to keep the Big Ankle-biter is safe or you'll be answering to both MiM and me."

With his dueling boomerangs, Bunny hopped out the moment a wayward oak tree was near by. He sliced thrice as many birds as North and did it with quick and agile precision. Jack recovered from the intimidation long enough to avoid crashing into another oak tree and cursed when one of the skids were almost ripped off. Unknown to Jack three crows glided behind the sleigh and were prepared to perform a kamikaze on him. Before Jack had anytime to react a black stick struck them and fire could be seen in his vision.

"Whoa," Jack breathed out. "The cane's got a flamethrower too?"

Bridget started for a second and nodded slowly. "Yeah…I just figured out it has one."

"Man if this is what all good kids get, I should've tried getting on the Nice List years ago." Jack viewed enviously.

Bridget smiled sheepishly and brushed her bangs over her face. "You were on the Naughty List?" She blushed slightly while asking that. _"Calm down this is not Burgess High where innuendos run rampant," _Bridget thought. She hated to admit it but her will was weakening with vulgar thinking_. "Think innocent thoughts," _the redhead chanted. _"Think innocent thoughts-" _"Naughty, Ha! I hold record," Jack grinned, failing at North's accent.

All the innocence Bridget held was destroyed by a wave of suggestive thinking. 4chan would be butch in comparison to the girl's mind at that moment. _"He didn't mean it like that, he didn't mean it like that, he didn't mean it like that."_

Bridget fought the urge to scowl and shot back, "That makes way too much sense to me. I should've known you were bad news, Jack**son** Frost." She laughed at her joke of giving Jack a longer name. Bridget waited to hear Jack's witty comeback but didn't, she got worried. "Uh, Jack you're okay right?...Jack I didn't mean t-SHIT!" In no time at the entire sleigh and its occupants crashed landed into the ground.

The only thing Bridget heard was Jack calling out the name, "Emily" and the redhead fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Bridget groaned in annoyance while she tried to remove her face out of the snow. She woke up a while later and realized that her face was planted into the snow-covered land. After a few pulls Bridget got her head out, but her butt landed on the icy ground instead. "God, I knew cutting gym last year would be a bad idea. But did I listen to my brain, no~"

She brushed off any remnants of snow that was on her hair and clothes as she got up. "Jack?" Bridget called out. When she heard no response she got worried. "Jack? JACK!" With her cane Bridget shuffled around the snow as best as she could. If anything were to happen to him, Jamie would be crushed. His friends would be devastated. The Guardians would be even more so. And she-THUMP! Bridget was so deep into her thoughts that she had realized she almost stepped on a comatose Jack Frost.

Bridget quickly crouched down and sighed in relief when she felt Jack's hoodie fabric. "Jack, are you okay?" She nudged his shoulder. He didn't move. Panic nearly settled in until the redhead took deep breaths. _"Screaming and crying won't help. The others are somewhere miles away for all I know and I need to stay calm." _

The redhead recalled a book where the heroine and her father fell down a plane in Alaska. After they fell the character remembered the procedure on helping any fallen victims and saved them. Bridget knew well enough that Jack wasn't in serious trouble yet but it was best to try and keep him from losing air. _"Okay, what else did that girl do to save her father? Had him rest on his back so he could breathe-check"_ Bridget did a mental list to go along with what she was doing to Jack "-Make_ sure his heart is beating…." _She gingerly placed her head over his chest to where his heart should be. She almost smelled pine trees mixed with the cold air of snow...Bridget shook her head. It was because she was outside and not because of-Ba-dump! Jack's heart was beating!

_-check! __But what else did the book character…oh no." _She remembered the other thing that had to be done.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; **CPR. **

The whole pushing Jack's chest to have him breathing was okay but the last resort to it-_"You're gonna have to-_" "I know! I know!" Bridget called loudly. "Why are you putting me in these situations, moon? First it was the closet, then the sack, and now this? Did I do something bad in a past life to get punished for this?"

She sighed in despair as Bridget (hopefully) stared at Jack's form. "I need to calm down. For all I know he might be unattractive so there's no reason to overreact. Sure his voice sounds undeniably sexy but he might not be all that good looking at all." She nodded to reassure herself. "Yeah he could really fat-" He wasn't, she remembered how slim his waist was from flying. "Probably has a really bad complexion-" Back at the Bennett House, while hiding in the closet, she recalled for a brief moment Bridget had her hand on Jack's face and it was smooth as ice. "Or his hair is a greasy, rat's nest-" When the teens scrambled off of each other Bridget's fingers grazed Jack's hair during a millisecond and considered that it was softer than Bunny's fur later on. "Oh~ this is getting me nowhere! I must face the inevitable eventually."

The redhead sighed and stated as a matter of fact," If Ben Folds Five taught me anything, it was to _'Do It Anyway' _and this is one of those times." After gulping for the umpteenth time, Bridget leaned down.

* * *

Darkness... it was the first thing Jack saw. It was dark and cold. He could feel that he was lying on a hard surface. No, it was cold and the surface was a snowy ground, he'd been on plenty before to tell the difference. The Guardian breathed through his nose and blinked. Once his eyes opened Jack got a very unexpected surprise.

* * *

"…" Bridget heard a sound and realized it was someone else breathing. It took her less than a second to comprehend who it was. As the reality of that fact sunk in, both teens' eyes shot open in horror. They screamed and scrambled away from each other out of embarrassment. Bridget rested on the side of a tree while Jack leaned near a rock. Both of them had very flushed faces.

"W-what were you," Jack was dismayed and at a lost of words. "What made you think to-" "I was trying to give you CPR. Dammit!" Bridget panted. "That's nothing to kiss-I mean kiss, no-duh-kill…yeah that's nothing to **kill** me over."

Jack breathed heavily while trying to get a hold of the situation. "So…what you were doing earlier that was-"

"CPR, DAMMIT! Nothing else happed I didn't even touch your…I was trying to save your life!" Bridget was in hysterics now.

Seeing the girl's panic Jack recomposed himself and slowly got up. He walked over to the redhead. At a snail's pace, Jack placed a hand on Bridget's shoulder; she took a deep breath and turned her head toward him. "Listen let's just try to figure out something okay? We're out in the middle of the forest, with no way of contacting the others-"

"Jack?" North's voice called out.

"Bridget? Are you there?" Tooth's voiced echoed through the trees.

"Jack, you and the Big Ankle-biter be alright or you'll be gettin' something worse from me." Bunny said as the sound of bounding footsteps could be heard.

"We're over here!" Bridget and Jack called out. The looks of relief were painted on their faces.

Bridget almost forgot her claustrophobia as North's wiry beard smothered her face and his large arms wrapped around her. "Leetle Girl," North whispered in bliss. "Vhen I saw sleigh crash, ve vere so vorried something may have-But no matter it's good now."

"You gave us a real scare back there Shelia," Bunny reprimanded. "You should've seen how worried Tooth was. And don't get me started on Sandy."

"Oh hush now Bunny," Tooth said coarsely. Bridget swore that the fairy sounded like she was crying. "We're all happy to see you both okay."

The Mini-fairies flew over to Jack and chirped worriedly at the frost spirit. "I'm okay guys really, Bridget's the one that need more attention than me."

Bridget fidgeted her right wrist nervously. "Oh that doesn't seem necessary-Ah~!" She jumped up and squirmed like mad. She kept hooping around erratically and had her hands digging into her shoulders. The Guardians were at a loss of words at the display.

"Bridget," Jack began nervously. "Why are you moving like that?"

"There's something crawling on my b-bACK!"

Bunny turned his head on her backside and shook his head. "I see nothing."

"That's b-because its in the c-OAT!" While wasting no time Bridget took her coat off and a black and blue blur fell to the ground. The Guardians instinctively took their weapons out and prepared for any opportunity to strike. It didn't come when they realized the creature wasn't a threat at all but a- "Newt?" Jack tilted his head in confusion.

"Nah, it's a salamander." Bunny corrected. It was a black salamander with blue stripes covering its back and legs. Its beady black eyes looked at the larger beings and took hold of them until it made a jerking-like movement and scurried away.

"Well that was random," Bridget stated while putting her jacket back on. "So how are you all doing?"

North made a loud cry of dismay. "Well I didn't know you'd be that upset."

"No Bridget it's not that." Tooth amended. "He's upset at the…"

"Sleigh," Jack whispered.

Bridget heard snow being crunched and expected the Guardians were walking. "Okay you're all walking somewhere and you stopped talking about the sleigh…that can only mean…" Bridget didn't want to finish the sentence. She felt her foot stepped on something that clanked and quickly realized what it was. It was a piece of the sleigh's metal runner.

* * *

Jack really wished he had the power to go back in time and fixed what he had saw in front of him. It was almost as worse as the Easter eggs getting crushed from Pitch-no the sleigh crashing was much worse. How were they going to get to Santoff Claussen now? But just like Easter this was his entire fault too. He could clearly remember how he screwed up with the sleigh crash.

* * *

"_I should've known you were bad news, Jack__**son**__ Frost." _Bridget called out behind that second Jack felt a shiver go up his spine and memories poured in.

"_Jackson Overland!" a little girl's voice called out. "Get down from there!" _

_Slackened chuckling was heard from an older boy resting on a bent tree branch. His brown eyes were full of mischief while looking down at the younger girl. "I'm fine Emily, don't worry."_

_Emily's brown eyes were full of worry either way. "Mother said for you to stop climbing. The ice will break that branch in half with your weight." She repeated her mother's scorn with ease. The girl quietly added, "I think she's right about you having too much fun."_

_The older brunet quickly descended off of the tree, his bare feet crunched on the snow as he went to clamp Emily's mouth shut. "Shh~ do you want the neighbor's kids to hear ya?" He feigned anxiety and whispered, "If people hear you questioning the very boundaries of fun, I don't think I can bare to call you my little sister."_

_The little girl's eyes widen in fear. "Don't do it Jack! I don't want to lose you." She clung to her brother's cloak with tears threatening to fall down._

_The older brother's eyes softened as he ruffled her brown hair. "That's something you won't have to worry about for a long time. Because I'm always gonna be with you."_

_He gave her a lopsided grin and she smiled back, wiping the near fallen tears away. "Say why I don't teach how to ice skate tomorrow? We can use those skates Father gave us~" There would've been more to the story but it was at that moment when Jack Frost crashed the sleigh onto the ground._

* * *

"_But I didn't keep that promise at all," _Jack thought bitterly while the Guardians examined the damaged sleigh. One of the metal skids was ripped clean off of the sleigh, while a whole side of it was broken in half and the reindeer where nowhere in sight.

"How could have this happen?" North asked in despair.

Jack sighed and opened his mouth when, "It was my fault."

All eyes turned to Bridget as she stood in the ice-cold snow. Tooth stuttered slightly in disbelief, "Br-Bridget?"

"I whacked Jack with my long cane by accident," Bridget fibbed. "I knew you guys wouldn't want me to fight but I didn't think about that after you left Jack with piloting the sleigh. When he wasn't looking I took my cane out and tried to hit any crow I thought came near us. But when Jack turned around to see it happen I unknowingly hit him. And with him not awake and me being blind and all, the sleigh crashed and you could probably fill the other pieces together."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise and almost gaped. _"Did she really just-" _"I see," North said. "Vhile your intensions vere good Bridget, you still got yourself and Jack in serious danger. If the sleigh vasn't as close to ground…I don't vant to think vhat may have happened." North sighed in disarray.

Tooth saw Bridget's saddened appearance and flew over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We didn't exactly say you couldn't fight." Tooth soothingly said. "It was an accident and we'll just leave at that. All of us are just happy you're both okay."

Bunny was at Jack's side and hit the boy's shoulder gently. "So don't ya'selves up ya gumpbies. We're glad to see no scratches on you."

"Wish I can say the same thing to the sleigh," Bridget mumbled.

North sighed exasperatedly but calmly said, "It is fine Bridget. Sleigh can be fixed once ve get to Santoff Claussen." He chuckled while remembering something. "You and Jack vill love the village."

"He's right," Tooth nodded enthusiastically. "It's beautiful and with so many nice people."

"Not to mention good food," Bunny added while patting his stomach.

"Food and possibly a warm place to stay, sign me up." Bridget said eagerly. She pumped up her fists and called out, "What are we waiting for? Let's get the sleigh together, round up the deer, and find that town!" With that said Bridget shuffled over to where her backpack was lying in the snow and started walking. She paused momentarily and asked sheepishly, "Can any of you guys lead me there? 'Cause I seriously have no idea where I'm going. Literally."

The Guardians laughed and their journey to Santoff Claussen began.

* * *

"Where did Sandy go off to? I don't think I've heard him in a while," Bridget asked while trekking through the snow.

"He had to leave so he could send his dreamsand around." Bunny answered while leading a reindeer. "Just like Jack and me, he doesn't have helpers to do the workload for him."

"_That's a bit unfair,"_ Bridget thought but decided to not say aloud in fear of offending the remaining Guardians.

It took a lot longer to find the reindeer than Bridget thought but North, Bunny, and Jack eventually found them grazing near a patch of unfrozen grass and got them to help with the sleigh pulling. The hardest part was finding all of the fallen parts and pile them up into the sleigh. North and Bunny dragged in the larger pieces while Tooth and Bridget smaller planks of wood. Jack was in charge of keeping the reindeer from running off again.

The walk through the forest was done accordingly to everyone's skills, Tooth was flying ahead, playing sentry and to declare if she saw the village, Bunny and Jack pulled on the reins to lead the reindeer as they fallowed Tooth. North was in the rear to keep an eye out for any attackers, and Bridget was on Bunny's side while her feet and cane munched through the snow.

Bridget groaned slightly when she felt her socks getting wet. _"Again, why did I not take my snow boots instead?"_

"You alright Shelia?" Bunny asked.

"I'm f-fine," Bridget, replied, inwardly cursing at her word stumblingly from the cold.

Bunny shook his head. "No you're not." Without hesitation Bunny picked up Bridget with much ease and had her mounted on the reindeer he was pulling.

"What the-Am I riding a reindeer." Bridget's eyes widened as the animal in question grunted in response.

"You sure are, Shelia."

Bridget grasped onto the animal's antlers and gasped. "This is so cool! First it was riding the sleigh, then touching you and Tooth and her fairies, and now **this**."

"Glad your day's been full of firsts, ya Big Ankle-biter," Bunny congratulated while pulling the deer's harness.

"_Yes indeed it has. Let us not forget how today you almost had your first kiss-" _"Shut it," Bridget murmured to herself. _"My conscience is being a real pain today." _She decided to clear her thoughts by asking more questions again.

"So what does Santoff Claussen look like?" Bridget asked Bunny.

Bunny thought for a minute until answering, "I'm not sure how to describe it. All I can say it's every perfect village you ever imagined and it being real."

"It is haven for fellow dreamers like us, a place vhere the residents could make use of their imagination vithout fear." North added behind the sleigh.

"So normal people can live there?" Jack asked inquiringly. He never heard of the village until that afternoon and wanted to know as much about as possible.

"Yes of course, Ombric is no discriminator of any people vith good hearts." North answered.

"Who's Ombric?" Bridget asked while turning her head so North could hear her clearly.

"Ombric Shalazar is wizard and founder of Santoff Claussen. Probably one of the last wizards left. But he is very wise and powerful, filled with old magic and very good with languages of the insects."

"Not to mention he's probably as old as Manny but can pretty decent in a fight." Bunny mentioned. "Makes me wish I could've seen him in his heyday."

"Wait a second did you say he's almost as old as the Man in the Moon?" Bridget asked in awe.

"Yes and a survivor of the lost city of Atlantis." North responded. "In fact I think Santoff Claussen is ancient phrase from Atlantis that means 'place of dreams.'"

"I think you should stop talking guys," Jack warned. "Bridget looks like she's about to implode."

A gray eye of Bridget's twitched. "Wizards exist, Atlantis-not the city in Georgia-but the continent was real, and the oldest living survivor-who speaks bug-built a utopia. In the middle of Siberia. Tell me I didn't die from that sleigh crash." She clung to the reindeer's antlers and made her plea to the Guardians.

North chuckled. "Don't get so vorried. Ve'll take it slow for the nice."

And in no time flat Tooth came back with news. "I saw the oak trees that surround the village," Tooth explained. "On foot you should be there in 15 minutes."

The male Guardians perked up at the news while Bridget sighed in relief. _"Finally a warm place to sleep and eat."_

"By the way do any of you know where one of my fairies went? I can't seem to find her."

Jack felt movement in his hoodie pocket and smiled. "I think I know where she is Tooth."

The Guardian put his hand in his pocket and gently pulled out a Mini-fairy. Tooth flew over and scolded the little one gently. "Just because he has beautiful teeth, does not mean you should hide out on him to get a peek…again."

Jack had a smug look, North chuckled, and Bunny sighed in annoyance. Bridget arched an eyebrow in confusion. _"I really have no idea what is going on."_

Bridget quietly decided to not say anything and never speak of it again.

"_And Jamie thinks I'm weird." _

* * *

Despite Tooth's explanation that it would take a half of thirty minutes to get to the village, it seemed that the walk was much quicker than expected. _"Probably because we all want to get there ASAP." _Jack thought while noticing how fast Bunny and North were hiking through the snow.

"That is strange," North said. "Ve should have seen Spirit of Forest by now or at least the bear."

"Bear?" Bridget spoke worriedly. "There's a bear in the forest and no one told me this?"

"Relax," Bunny eased her. "He only attacks people with evil intent and is generally calmer than a koala." He paused before adding, "Except when the beast doesn't get to eat and now that I think about it, koalas can be pretty cross too when they have no munchies."

"That's not helping, Bunny." Bridget warned.

"Uh, guys," Jack spoke up. "I don't think trees normally look like that."

When the other Guardians turned they shocked to see that several oak tree, that were the size of redwoods, fell down in bizarre ways. They all looked as though a giant came in and ripped the tress out of their roots and plunked them down haphazardly. As they hurried forward they saw more damage and were distraught at how worse it got.

"Something tells a bad thing happened, didn't it?" Bridget asked aloud.

An encircling hedge and vines a hundred feet high with thorns as long as spears, was seen and a huge gaping hole was cut through the plants. The Guardians stopped abruptly near the sight and Bridget climbed off the reindeer to feel the damage.

"How could have this happened?" Tooth asked in a hushed voice.

"I don't know," North answered. "I didn't think birds could get through defenses so vell."

"They must've had help." Bunny detected. "Crows can't make ugly holes like this one."

"Unless they're magic," Jack pointed out. "Sure this hole's the size of a jet plane but I think those things made it clear how magical they are."

"Let's not jump to any conclu-" "OH-NO!" Tooth cried while high up in the air.

"What-what is it Tooth?"

"The village…we're too late."

When the Guardians turned they immediately they all saw exactly what the fairy was trying to say.

The village of Santoff Claussen was nearly destroyed and a huge tree in the middle of it looked like it was dying.

* * *

**Q-A: **Man this has to be worse then the child kidnapping…eh maybe a tie, yeah that can work. I bet you thought Lucky chapter 7 would a lot more…lucky. Again I'm sorry for how long this took but trust me when I say school is irritatingly time consuming. Just wait until I'm in college. *Sarcastic yay!* All and all I hope this was a good chapter for you all. And if chapter 5 wasn't a big clue already I'm not really great at writing actions scenes. XP Don't blame me if I'm not a huge fan of reading them. But I did do my best and it'll be more visual later on. And you'll see why.

And for those who'll ask why Bridget now swears normally is because she didn't have time to prepare for the moments when her life was nearly threatened, and most of the time she does normal swearing is when she is or thinks she alone. Thought you'd like to be cleared up on that.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	8. In which School is Useful for Once

**Q-A: **Here we are with chapter 8! :D We get to know who the villainess is (finally). And meet some new (and somewhat old) characters. It should be a lot of fun.

Disclaimer: I only own Bridget; the_ Guardians of Childhood_ and _Rise of the Guardians_ belong to their creators respectively.

* * *

_~ In Which School is Useful For Once~_

It was like walking onto a battlefield only for it to have been the aftermath and the clash long over. A sense of dread filled the Guardians as the walked through the snow while they took in the damages. Everyone was at a loss of words at the fallen trees, the unbalanced foundations and an even more unpleasant sight, the homes. No, none of them were pillaged or ransacked but looked so barren and cold. They didn't hold any of the charm or warmth homes in the outside world that Jack recalled and no sound of people was heard either. No parents doing chores, or children laughing, just the continuous sound of snow being crunched under feet.

"It's like walking in a graveyard," Jack said while glancing at a front door, slashed with claw marks.

"Let's just hope that's all it is and it not actually being one." Bunny responded. He sighed when he saw a metal oval half buried in the snow. The oval had the appearance of a large egg.

"But I don't understand how this could've happened." Tooth said sadly. "Santoff Claussen was always well protected."

"Not always Tooth," North countered knowingly. "Pitch had attacked this place a few times before."

"But that was Pitch, we have no idea who this person is." Tooth pointed out. "Whoever the black-feathered cloak woman is, we don't know who she is. All we know is that she wants us gone and is harming children."

"Wait," Bridget faltered her steps. "She wants you guys gone too?"

Bunny nodded at Jack's confused expression. "Her crow said so. Kept calling us 'fake gods' and thieves, whatever that meant."

"Maybe she's one of those crazed extremists I hear about on the news." Bridget offered optimistically.

"Yeah but extremists don't have an army of birds on their side." Jack replied. "And I think Crow Lady means business by taking kids we know." He glared at the ground before adding; "She's trying to make this personal for us."

Bridget pursed her lips and thought of something. "Okay but you all said you've never heard of her, right? So how did she know that taking the kids from Burgess would **be **personal?"

"I am not very sure," North thought aloud. "She took children ve vould know and use that against us. I am vorried vhat other things she may know of us."

Suddenly, Bunny turned away from the group. His ears raised and twitched and he sniffed the air. "Something's up."

"Is it another 3-year old raiding Easter eggs?" Jack jested.

"Shudap, I mean it," Bunny warned, not moving from his spot. The Guardians assumed their battle positions. They crowded around Bridget only to find she there.

"Hey! Whoever's out there, you can come out now," Bridget said cupping her mouth. She was a good four feet in front of the legendary immortals. "If you're a good guy, we won't hurt you. I promise."

"Bridget get back here," Jack half-whispered protectively. "You have no idea what you're-" "Well that sounds reasonable to me," a masculine voice called out.

The puzzled Guardians soon saw a man walk out of the corner of a building. He had a lean built and average height of a grown man. He was wearing clothing much more proper for the cold, icy climate unlike Bridget's. His hair was jet black and combed in a style that looked old enough for Jack to probably laugh at. His eyes were filled with a sort of kindness and joy that the Guardians would normally see exclusively on Children.

Once the man was close enough to be a meter away from where Bridget stood he spoke in admiration, "In all my years of being in this village I never thought I'd live to see you all return."

"Can this guy see us?" Jack asked in a hushed tone towards North.

"Yes I can see you just fine," the man spoke was a ghost of a smile on his face. Jack was about to say something until the man continued, "After all, everyone, like me, has been waiting for this day for a long time." While he spoke this, the man raised his arms and lowered them down. Right as the hands met his waist the doors to many of the homes opened. A dozen or so people poured out and had looks of curiosity. Those looks vanished and were replaced with joy and wonder after they had a look of the Guardians.

"All of these adults...?" Jack trailed, trying to hold his excitement.

"They can see us," Tooth finished with a knowing smile.

"Whoa," Bridget sighed in awe.

"Oh we've been believers in the true wonders of the world for as long as this village was founded." The man explained. "Our parents and their parents before them told us all fantastic stories of your exploits and adventures."

"Well that was nice of them," Tooth said with gratitude. Her Mini-fairies chirped in consent.

"My name is Trevvor," the man placed his right hand on his heart. "You probably knew my great-great-Grandmother, Sascha."

"Oh we did know her," Bunny said. "She was one heck of an inventor." He smiled in remembrance.

Trevvor nodded. "Yes, she was," he had a look of regret before saying, "I unfortunately do not posses that same ability, for my skills lie in magic and sound manipulation. That's how I was able to signal everyone to come out, you see."

"That's still a pretty cool power," Bridget praised. "I know no normal human can do that."

Whispering could be heard immediately as the people muttered, "An Outsider," over and over to each other while adding a few other observations.

"An Outsider, after all these years?"

"She isn't a Guardian, isn't she?"

"She doesn't look like a child from here."

"What would Ombric think?"

Bridget felt uncomforting feelings pool into her stomach. What exactly would this Ombric person feel about her? Would he welcome her? Judged her and claim she isn't worthy to help the Guardians?

"I would think she must need a warm drink and drier clothes," the muttering stopped when a wizened voice spoke up. A path was made as the villagers stepped aside for the man that spoke. "From what I can tell, she must have been through much as of late."

"_That guy looks like North's cousin," _Jack thought. _"But with an different accent." _

The man did indeed look rather old but much more than North by appearance. The old man had wrinkles around his face and a long white beard that nearly reached the ground. He wore blue and white robes, a pointed hat that curled slightly and leaned most of his weight on a long wooden staff with a crescent curved crook on the top. The other Guardians held looks of concern after distinguishing the wizard's form.

"It is good to see you my old friends." Ombric spoke in a tired voice. He walked closer to the Guardians and took a clasp of North's hand. "Nicholas St. North, a loyal friend and a marvelous student. I am pleased to be seeing you again."

"Feeling is mutual, Ombric," North articulated while shaking his mentor's hand. His brown eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"E. Aster Bunnymund," the wizard declared. "A brave Pooka through and through." Ombric took in the pooka's appearance in bewilderment. "I see you no longer ware your emerald robes."

Bunny's ears drooped awkwardly. "Yeah, well, much too hard to travel quickly through tunnels with them on you know."

Ombric hummed. "Well at least you did not cease your experiments and chocolate making." When the wizard noticed the Guardian's ashamed glance Ombric made a stiff nod in condolence and moved on.

"You use to ware robes and you're first name's **E. Aster**?" Jack snickered until Bunny glared at him.

"Toothiana," Ombric bowed to her in respect, his robes cascading to the snowy ground. "Queen of the Mini-fairy armies and a commanding warrior. You look beautiful as always."

Tooth smiled bashfully. "It's great to be seeing you again, Ombric."

Ombric dip his head one last time before heading to the last one.

Jack felt a little uncomfortable as the older man studied him. Ombric's eyes never leaving his and the man's wrinkles grooved diagonally. Finally the wizard spoke in a concluding voice. "You are the one they call 'Jack Frost' if I am correct."

"That would be true." Jack mumbled self-consciously.

"Speak up boy, and look me in the eye while an Elder talks to you," the founder of Santoff Claussen chastised.

Jack immediately obeyed and stiffened at the bearded man's request. Several painfully long seconds passed for Jack until Ombric made a 'humph' and concluded, "Well besides the ill manners and bad posture, I see that you certainly have a kind heart."

He smiled then chuckled as Jack's shocked expression. The wizard spoke softly, "No need to be alarmed Jack Frost, I only yelled to keep my stern façade up to evaluate you properly." Ombric leaned over and whispered in Jack's ear, "Can't have people thinking I'm a pushover now can we?"

He chuckled again and Jack joined into the contagious laughter. This old guy almost had a good sense of humor like Jack. Ombric coughed a few seconds later and held onto his cane for support. Jack instinctively offered his arms to help but Ombric waved them off. The other Guardians came over to give support and a rather reluctantly Ombric took it.

"You don't seem to be doing vell, my friend." North stated.

"Yes," Ombric whispered. "Yes I am afraid I haven't been very well at all for most of today."

Bridget's eyes enlarged in alarm. "What day is today exactly?"

When Ombric answered Bridget gasped in horror. "Oh man! I've already been gone for a day and a half? Jamie and Sophie must be worried sick. And don't get me started on Carol-"

"Hey it's alright ya Big Ankle-biter," Bunny interrupted. "We told Sandy to go and see them and report what's been happenin' so far." _"I knew this trip would take much longer than a day but I'm not gonna blabber that to you." _Bunny added mentally, knowing if it was said aloud Bridget would not be please.

Bridget sighed in relief. "Good, I'm already stressed out as it is."

Ombric arched an eyebrow in interest. He motioned Tooth and North toward Bridget's spot and they lead him near her.

"So you must the presence I felt a few minutes ago."

"_I need an adult?" _Bridget thought worryingly after she felt the older man near her.

The Atlantean chuckled. "You show a strong sense of apprehension. And for good reason…for all you know I could be a three-headed Snipe with rainbow claws and a silly hat."

Bridget's eyebrows rose once more. "You know I can't see?"

"You carry a cane with you," Ombric pointed out and Bridget smiled sheepishly. "Oh but don't feel bashful many of the visually challenged used canes for their eyes centuries." Ombric smiled fondly before adding, "An invention, which was made by my people of course."

"Of course." Bridget said with good humor. She figured by now it was best not to question those sorts of things and just go with it.

"I am not sure what kind of heart you have but in the morning I will have to look it over."

"Why do you need to do that?" Jack asked while leaning on his staff.

"It's both tradition and protocol." Ombric answered. "Due to the fact that the barriers and the Spirit of the Forest and the Bear did not look into it I will need to personally see to it on what is inside this girl's heart."

The redhead paled. "That sounds like it'll hurt."

"Not at all, and we'll wait 'till tomorrow to evaluate you so you all can have plenty of rest." Ombric spoke directly toward the Guardians on the last part. He clapped to have everyone's attention and announced, "We will begin rebuilding the village in the morning, until then I will have the children stay in Big Root and the Guardians and the newcomer as well."

The villagers tiredly adjourned back to their houses all save for Trevvor when Ombric told him to keep the defenses up in the wizard's absence and to sound the alarm if any suspicious auras appeared.

"Can't be too precautious," Ombric explained as he, the Guardians, and Bridget walked toward the largest tree in Santoff Claussen.

"Totally agree with you on that one." Bridget declared.

"It would appear Sanderson Mansnoozie is not present with you."

"Sanderson…" Jack spoke with utter confusion.

"He mean's Sandy," North clarified. He turned to Ombric and said, "Yes he vent to go to sleeping children so they may have good dreams of course."

Ombric nodded in understanding. "Of course."

They arrived at Big Root a few minutes later and the oldest Guardians were dismayed at how horrible the tree looked. Black claw marks scarred the tree with an unusual discoloring. The once proud and large branches were now weak and fail looking with some of them threatening to fall from the weight of the snow on them. Worst of all, the entire structure gave off unsettling manifestations that seem to spread toward the rest of the village also.

"When those crows first attacked they immediately went after the children." Ombric began in a somber pace. "I told them to hide in Big Root for protection. But what happened next I could not have foretold."

"What happened," Bunny asked carefully.

"The birds swooped in and slashed the tree with the best of their power. The good news, they failed at capturing any children, but I believe that wasn't the main objective. They wanted to poison the tree as well."

"Why would they want to do that?" Jack asked curiously.

"It is the very life force of this village." Ombric answered gravely. "Not only that but it holds the very power of belief and imagination."

When he noticed both confused expressions on the adolescents Ombric thought of a different method. "You see, a little while after Atlantis went, I searched far and wide for a place to create a town where people who valued imagination and dreams could make their home. A meteor crash turned out to be the perfect location, for in the center of the crater a lone sapling had been left unharmed by the crash." He gestured toward the very tree they were climbing its steps.

"I soon discovered it had been imbued with ancient starlight. It grew into a magnificent tree named Big Root, in which I have now made my home. And since then I welcome all with kind hearts and curious minds, and thus the small village of Santoff Claussen was founded."

Bridget stood on the last step while thinking that over. "I-that's," she sighed. "That's really amazing."

"And to think there's been this place full of people who actually believe in me and I never found it." Jack said in astonishment.

"I don't think you could if you tried." Ombric said with a smile. "I heard from my ice worms that you had the tendency to stray on the Naughty List from time to time."

The Guardian of Fun smirked smugly. "I was on top of it."

"_Again my mind goes into the gutter." _Bridget thought miserably.

"Young lady," Ombric spoke gently to Bridget. She turned her head to the direction he spoke. "I would assume you must be hungry from your travels."

Bridget's stomach growled in agreement. She smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Very well, we shall have something to eat then. Anything you wish." Ombric added to her and the Guardians.

Bridget smiled at the proposition and bobbed her head.

"We'll also need to save something for the Sandman. Tsar Lunar forbid he doesn't get a meal either." Ombric chuckled as he opened the door and lead them all inside.

* * *

Jamie Bennett slept soundly in his bead while a wisp of dreamsand blew over him. The golden thread turned into an image of the boy having a snowball fight with Jack Frost. Sandy smiled in remembrance of the time he and the rest of the Guardians played in the snow after Pitch's defeat. He went to the next room to see how Sophie's dream went and was pleased that it was left unchanged; she was riding on Bunnymund as he hopped around on an unseen ground.

It became a habit of Sandy's to check on a dream a second time after the nightmare sand incident and kept an eye on two of the strongest believers to know if they were okay. Bridget would not be happy to think if the kids missed her. In which they did, but the girl was needed to help the Guardians, whatever that was. He soon felt a pang of regret as he thought over the other children. Because Sandy so much time making dreams for children he actually knew a thing or two about them.

Sandy knew Cupcake simply adored unicorns, despite her aggressive-looking exterior and loved how pretty the Tooth fairy look. Pippa also enjoyed meeting the Guardian of Memories and is an avid skater. Monty, admired North for his courage and dueling sabers and dreamed learning to use them one day to fight his fears. Claude and Caleb surprisingly liked the Sandman a lot and thought his powers to make just about anything from sand was cool. Sandy felt something wet on his face and saw that a few tears succeeded in falling down. The Guardian decided to stop dwelling on those thoughts and prepared to leave for the next house.

Sandy was about to leave for the rest of his rounds when he heard multiple voices downstairs. Once he was on the ground floor Sandy heard the voices in the kitchen.

"I understand you're still in shock over all of this, but we are still trying to figure out what happened the other day," one of the officers voiced. Out of curiosity the Sandman inched closer toward the kitchen. He saw Jamie's mother, Carol (he remembered Bridget mention her), with two policemen. Her hair was pulled in a messy ponytail and held a face full of maternal concern. "We were only inquiring to what previous incidents has the ward, you have, been in."

Carol sighed in aggravation. "If you think she had anything to do with the kidnap-"

"What we have researched that she's been sent around the country and had seen her record of staying in one home lasting only a few good weeks. Her enrollment in schools a lot less. And witness reports at the schools claimed to have seen-"

"Could we please not talk about this." Carol nearly barked. "I am aware that Bridget started out with a troubled life but when I was still a social worker I'd met children being treated badly much worse in the past. She has been doing very well in school and not one incident has happened. So please I don't wish to bring this up again. I'm sure my son's friends' parents would like to hear your 'progress'. But don't bring up that girl at once. Please." Carol tried not to glare at the officers after they excused themselves and left for the door.

Sandy got over his surprised expression and quietly left the house with his usual silence. He formed a dream cloud and flew up into the air to finish his rounds in Burgess and return to the Santoff Claussen village as soon as he could.

* * *

Bridget moaned in pleasure as she took another buttery roll into her mouth. The thing melted and warmed her instantly the moment it reached her stomach. "God, this is delicious. I never had food that warmed all up to my head and toes." She took another bite of a roasted ham and sighed in content.

Right away Ombric ordered his glowworms-the ones that weren't helping the children sleep-prepare a meal for the new guests. While the Guardians declined on the food, Bridget was more than happy to eat for them. That Tooth and Bunny immediately turned down that comment so Bridget-begrudgingly-ate a meal of one serving instead.

"I am pleased to hear that." Ombric said gratefully. "Most of my recent guests usually get to tired to say anything after a bite."

Bridget swallowed some mash potatoes. "Must because this food's so darn good rich." Her grinning mouth wrapped around a croissant and she offered another one to Jack. He was about to say no when the roll got stuffed into his mouth and he took a surprised bite out of it.

"Okay this is good," Jack admitted while grabbing another roll off of the table. He smiled before saying, "Maybe having another shouldn't be bad…or maybe two or three-" Bunny coughed loudly at the boy and Jack grinned while holding a rather large handful of buttery buns.

Ombric chucked in amusement toward Bunny. "Don't be so hard on the boy, Bunnymund. If I recall I use to do the same thing under your nose."

"Yeah but I liked ya from the start and you were a kid at the time." He glanced at the winter spirit before adding, "This wise guy here knows nothin' about table manners." Jack glared while Bridget stifled a laugh.

"Well then you should teach him." The pooka and the human quickly protested but once North gave them a stern look they sighed in defeat.

"Can I have some more water please?" Bridget asked. "All this holding back on laughing is making me parched. "

Ombric nodded. "You may." He motioned a glowworm to bring the pitcher over and pour it's liquid-y content into the ceramic cup Bridget held. Once it was a half-inch from the top, Bridget took a small swing and sighed in joy as she placed it down. Her eyes drooped and grew heavy as sleep started to win her over.

"It would seem that it is time for bed." Ombric examined a wall hourglass clock and nodded in affirmation.

"Yes," North began. "I think ve all need the relaxation to the rest."

"I have beds prepared, but unfortunately most of you will need to 'bunk in' as it were. The children have claimed many of the other beds I'm afraid."

"That be fine." Tooth said courteously. Some of her Mini-fairies even yawned and Baby Tooth was already trying to make Jack's hoodie her pillow. "Oh now let's go and sleep on real beds for the night. It's actually the first time I've slept in…when did the Renaissance end again?"

"I think ve all should go to bed now. And tomorrow sleigh vill be looked over yes?" North suggested.

Ombric's eyes widened in shock. "Your sleigh is broken?"

"No…it crashed." North sighed sadly.

Guilty looks plastered on Bridget and Jack's faces as the earlier one bowed her head in shame. Ombric stroke his beard and hummed in understanding but held back a knowing smile. "I see, well it's late and you all need your rest. Tomorrow will certainly be full of activity."

With that said, the tired group and the wizard left the room and fallowed him up the stairs. Ombric lead them to a hallway with on each side had several doors.  
"The ones on the left-hand side are for the men and the right will be for you ladies." Ombric explained. "Most of them are already occupied so you boys will need to decide who will rest with who."

"I'll be in Sandy's room," Jack shot his hand up right away. He hid a knowing smirk when Ombric declared," Well in that case North and Bunnymund will share a room while Toothiana and Miss Bridget share one as well." He turned to the fairy and human girl and said kindly, "I hope that won't be a bother to you both."

Tooth shook her head. "No it'll be fine." She inched toward Bridget and glowed. "This can be a lot like those sleepovers Pi-um I hear kids do." The Guardian flushed slightly and twitched nervously. Not seeing the odd expression of Tooth, Bridget shrugged. "Yeah it's fine with me. My first time having one to be honest."

The Guardians held looks of disbelief. "Wait you've never been to one sleepover?" Jack detained a tone of amusement. "That's like one of the staples of childhood there."

"Well could be a huge shock to say I never had a normal childhood." Bridget paused before adding, "That is to say I was hopped around by too many foster homes to have one."

Even without seeing Bridget could feel the looks on her. "Now don't give me any pity, I won't have any of that." She crossed her arms in defiance. "Now I think it's time to go and sleep now." After that Tooth opened the door for Bridget and they both walked into the bedroom, leaving the male Guardians and wizard outside of it.

"That Big Ankle-Biter sure knows how to make us go up a gum tree huh?"

"I have no idea what you just said but yeah Bridget's way too uptight." Jack unusually agreed with Bunny.

"'Uptight?'" North rose his eyebrows and rested his arms akimbo. "Leetle Girl is not uptight…she is uh, vell she is not uptight." North said firmly.

"She is being held back by the scars of her past." Ombric concluded ominously.

* * *

The Mini-fairies flew around excitedly in the room while Tooth tried to calm them down. "Now girls I know we're in a new environment but acting like this is not proper Tooth Fairy behavior."

"Aww, c'mon Toof," Bridget muffled through a toothpaste filled mouth. "Dheir jus' havink fun." The redhead kept brushing a little longer and then spat out the contents in the bathroom sink.

The bedroom wasn't spacious, but large enough to hold two twin size beds, drawers, and a moss green rug on the floor. The conjoined bathroom Bridget was in held a porcelain sink, bathtub and toilet to match and a window with floral curtains. It wasn't a five-star room but that didn't bother Bridget since all she wanted to do was sleep, but Tooth had other plans.

"So how do you like the village so far? Was the food good enough to eat? Are you really not bothered by the glowworms? Is this really your first 'official' sleepover?" Tooth asked fast paced.

Bridget blinked. "Can you repeat those questions again?"

Tooth giggled. "Sorry, it's my first time talking with a girl in a while, especially one around your age."

"Is that so?" Bridget arched an eyebrow while finding a nightgown to sleep in one of the drawers.

"Yes," Tooth nodded. "I'm afraid I don't know the proper procedures for this whole 'slumber party' thing."

"Yeah I'm more of a early to bed, later to rise kinda girl." Bridget struggled with the neckline a bit but soon got a white and pink-laced dress on.

Tooth puffed her cheeks and her crown of feathers ruffled. "You're no fun."

Bridget smirked. "Now you figured that out?"

"Oh, I think you have very nice personality. A good sense of humor and a nice face with pretty hair. And let's not forget you being the first adolescent believer I've had in a long time."

Bridget blushed shyly. "My hair's not that pretty."

"Of course it is. I can't stop my fairies from playing in it. In fact they're doing it right now."

Indeed they were as Baby Tooth and her sisters were busying themselves in Bridget's red locks. "Ahem." Bridget tilted her head slightly so she wouldn't shake them off. The Mini-fairies ceased their playing and removed themselves off of her.

"They were playing with your braid again." Tooth said after reprimanding them. She coaxed them to bed while Bridget laughed out of nowhere.

"Just like Sophie, those little fairies are. I can remember the first time I met her she use to keep pulling at my hair." Bridget giggled and Tooth joined her.

Jack was walking down the halls, leaving to go outside and create snow, until he heard the sound of laughter. The light noise came from Tooth and Bridget's room. He inched over to the door and gently rested his ear on it. Jack knew better than to eavesdrop on a conversation (even though he use to do it a lot in the past) but he felt the need to hear what was the reason behind the infectious chortling.

"I mean don't get me wrong Sophie's wonderful and all but she can be a handful from what the sitters say," Bridget laughed between breaths. "She can find any object and see it as a play toy." More pearls of laughter. "In fact during Thanksgiving Sophie thought that her granny's prized gravy boat was an actual toy boat and play it the sandbox. That was the first Thanksgiving I've been to where the gravy wasn't creamy." Further laughter was heard while Jack listened intently.

"But seriously Sophie and Jamie are great. They're just full of so much kindness and innocence that anyone would marvel at. They're probably the first kids I got to know to be honest." Bridget sounded sad.

"I know how you feel," Tooth consoled. "I never really spent that much time with kids either, it wasn't until Jack showed us Guardians how to have fun."

"He seems like a big influence on you guys huh?" Jack could practically hear Bridget smile.

"Just a tad," Tooth replied. "But I think he brought us a lot closer than we were before. I almost forgot that last time we actually spent this much time with one another." The winter spirit felt a pang at his heart and held his breath.

"Like a family?" Bridget sounded somewhat eager for the answer.

Tooth made an 'I don't know' noise and said it was late and they need to sleep. Bridget agreed and the light under the door went away in a flash. Jack stood at the door for what could've been hours or minutes but he really didn't care. Did the other Guardians thought they were like a family too or was it just a dream made by a human? These thoughts swirled in Jack's head until he felt a presence. He turned to see Sandy staring at the boy with a golden question mark over his head. Realizing what Sandy was asking Jack sheepishly answered he was going to make it snow and walked away slowly enough that it didn't look like running. Sandy was beyond confused by that display and silently decided to stop returning from dreamsand delivering in the middle of the night.

* * *

"Children, please settle down, settle down," Ombric gently ordered and the excited kids sat in a half-circle in front of the wizard. The wizard and a dozen or so children were in one of the many rooms in the Santoff Claussen Library for today's lesson. Even though he felt his power was growing weaker, Ombric knew it was important to give the children a lesson would be important after what happened the other day. It was best for the children if he acted as though things were alright as calmly as possible, seeing how most children can be very perspective. "I am going to continue what we left off yesterday and-" "Excuse me?"

Ombric sighed when he recognized the voice. "Yes Mr. Qwerty?" the children laughed after seeing Ombric sigh tiredly, but when given a stern look they were silenced. A large butterfly but with wings of book cover and papers in between them flew gracefully overhead so the children couldn't grab him and perched on top of a large, growing pile of books. "You have a late student joining you for today." With a wing Qwerty pointed at a redheaded with an oddly shaped bag and a layer of snow on her head.

"When I woke up this morning and learned that everyone was out today I thought I could come to one of you lessons and learn about some Santoff Claussen tutoring." Bridget finished with a big smile to win the older man over.

"Ah," Ombric observed. He did remember earlier in the morning, North told Ombric that and he and his fellow Guardians would be off to fix the damages to the sleigh. "It would seem we do have a late arrival." Ombric turned his attention back to the kids and announced, "Children this young lady here is Ms. Bridget, I want you all to treat her the same way you all want to be treated, understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Ombric," the class echoed back, some honestly; others just to please the wizard.

"Good," the wizard made a nod and gently took Bridget's hand so he would surprise her. "There is a spot right here near the pile of books where you may sit." He lead the girl to the corner and Bridget sat down, leaning slightly on the books and took out a pencil and notebook to write out, just in case.

"Now as I was saying, we will begin where we left off today but first, in honor of our new student we will have a quiz."

The children abnormally cheered at the news. _"Usually the reaction I hear is the opposite at school." _Bridget thought.

"Now then, let us start with an simple question. What was the name of the Lunar family ship?"

Bridget was absolutely clueless on that one. _"What kind of question is-_" "The _Moon Clipper_!" a small boy chimed.

"That's correct." Ombric praised. "Where is the most well known entrance of E. Aster Bunnymund's warren?"

"Uhh~" Bridget mulled over the question until a little girl shot her hand up. "Eater Island."

"Yes very good." Ombric commended the little brunette. When he noticed Bridget's dejected look the wizard came up with a solution. "Miss Bridget," the redhead turned her head his way. "Would you like to answer the next question?"

"Yes," Bridget's mouth curled down slightly. "That question didn't count as the question, did it?"

The children laughed, finding the question funny. Ombric gave them a stern look and they stopped. "No that did not count. This is the actual question, 'What is the real power of magic?'"

Oh now, Bridget really knew the moon was indeed screwing with her.

* * *

"Give me wrench." North's hand was pulled out as it clasped and unclasped. He was underneath the sleigh welding new metal pieces to the vehicle. Bunny and Tooth were smart enough to stay clear of the sparks that went astray while busying themselves with gathering the tools North needed. They were also smart enough to know not to bother the former Cossack while he was tinkering.

Tooth scrunched her eyebrows while searching through a toolbox. The villagers were more than kind enough to help push the sleigh into a shed but even offered what little tools they had, problem with Santoff Claussen was while it is one of the most magical place places in the world, their technology had been dated since the early 20th century. So saying Tooth having trouble with finding the right tool for North was a bit of an understatement.

"_Oh why do all of these things look the same?" _Tooth mentally sighed. _"If he asked me to find a second premolar or a central incisor that would be different." _She smiled at the thought. _"Oh yes, first I'd look for a child between the ages of 7 to 9, then organize to the specific child, and polish it to perfection and-" _"Tooth." The human-hummingbird hybrid faltered slightly and turned to see Bunny a few feet behind her.

Bunny crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "Did you know your looking in the wrong drawer. Wrenches are at the mid-bottom."

Tooth smiled sheepishly as her feathers sunk down in embarrassment. "Um, I-uh-" "Oh for pity sake." Bunny maneuvered his right arm around and pulled out the drawer with his arm nearly ghosting Tooth's abdomen. She almost lead out a squeak but just as Bunny tucked his arm under, he swiped it back with a blue and rusted open-end wrench.

"Here ya go North." Bunny handed the tool to North's open hand and the Guardian of Wonder eagerly clasped it. The sound of a wrench being used was heard through the shop.

"Thank you Bunny. This one does very good job."

Bunny smiled rather smugly and gave Tooth a thumb's up. She flushed self-consciously and decided to change the subject. "Do you guys know where Jack went off to?"

Bunny scowled and grunted, "How should I know. We sent Sandy to go look for 'im a half hour ago didn't we?"

North rolled under the sleigh and gave Bunny a firm look. "Now Bunnymund there is no need to raise voice at Tooth."

"Oh calling me 'Bunnymund' huh? This is real serious."

Before North could retort a woman's scream was heard and many other voices coming from outside. Bunny pulled out his boomerangs, North drew his swords, and Tooth with her wings flapping. They bolted out of the structure and appeared at the village center. The three Guardians were in for a shock.

* * *

"Yours looking pretty good." Jack complimented Sandy's sand/snowman as he padded own regular one. They were a block or two away from the town square as snow cascaded down from the sky. Despite the ruined buildings the villagers still held some feeling of optimism knowing the Guardians have returned and promised to keep their children safe. Jack smiled as he put the final touches on his snowman. He stepped back, admiring his work, and turned around held a look of disbelief. Sandy turned his sand/snowman into a twelve-foot tall Eiffel tower gleaming a golden, sparkly white.

Jack pouted and muttered "Show off," earning a proud smile from Sandy as he stepped back to look at his work. As Jack held his head up he began to notice the wind acting strange. It kept blowing unsteadily as the sky darkened and the clouds formed into a….cyclone?

"_That doesn't look good."_ Jack and Sandy soon heard the battle cries of their fellow Guardians and flew over on the Sandman's dreamsand cloud toward the village square. Once Sandy and Jack got over, they branched out their respective weapons and stood near the others.

"What's going on?" Jack called out through the harsh blowing winds.

"Ve don't know." North answered. "Villagers fled for homes minutes ago. Ve helped them as best as ve could and winds keep growing."

"Look!" Tooth called out. She was unnaturally on the ground due to the strong winds and her Mini-fairies clutched to her holding on for dear life.

The clouds began to take shape and the wind howled. Inside the small cyclone a small entity could be seen and its form grew darker with each second. The library doors swung opened and small heads popped out, curious of what was happening outside. They were quickly pushed back in by Ombric as he walked down the steps swiftly. Bridget quietly joined him without protest and gripped her cane with alertness.

The shadowy form started to come into sight as the Guardians took their stance. Bridget situated herself near Ombric and noticed no sounds of a brawl going on.

"Should I be worried, I'm not hearing any fighting going on?"

"The Guardians are known to do conversations before confrontations. We always did try to do peaceful methods when necessary."

"We?"

"I too am a Guardian." Ombric said with slight fondness.

"And you never been to any meetings 'cuz?"

"SILENCE TO ALL!" a heated voice rung out. "FAKE GODS AND THEIVES WILL FALL!"

The voice made a loud cawing sound that boomed across the village. Jack winced slightly from the noise and squinted his eyes to see through the wind. His eyes widen when he recognized the creature. It was the same blood-red eyed crow that almost cut the Guardian in half back in Burgess.

"That's the rat with wings from earlier." Bunny barked and his face grew into a glower.

"The one that told you guys about this place?" Jack turned his head slightly to Bunny's direction without taking his eyes off the bird's.

The pooka nodded. "Yeah, and from the way you look, you know that thing too."

"No doubt about it."

"Hey pal," Bridget densely called out. "If your telling everybody to shut up then why are you still wheezing huh?"

"GO H-IFREANN LIBH!" the bird cried and dive-bombed to where the loudmouth redhead was. The crow ricocheted off of a force field around the girl and hit a wall. Bridget felt the surface with her hand and heard Ombric moaning slightly.

"Are you okay?" Bridget asked with worry.

The old man brushed off her concern with a wave of his hand. "It's been a long time since I've done anything like that. To be honest this has been the most excitement I have had in 200 years."

The crow was lying on the ground, groaning at the pain he felt. It got worse when he saw the Guardians, Atlantean, and human girl standing around him in a circle, blocking his chance to crawl away.

"Now then," North growled while cracking his knuckles. "Lets got to tacks of brass."

Bridget arched an eyebrow at his choice of words but kept quiet.

"What do you want from us?" Tooth asked firmly and her Mini-fairies chirped in anger.

"Killian speaks to no fake gods or Atlantean thieves. Killian is superior than the likes of you."

"But you just did talk to them right now." Bridget pointed out. "You're just full of contradictions aren't ya?"

"Go h-ifreann libh," the crow muttered. Jack held his staff and threatened to give the bird frostbite but Bunny made him lower the crook down slightly.

"Why do you keep speaking in Irish Gaelic?" Tooth asked curiously.

"That's what it was?" Bridget's eyebrows rose. "I thought he was having a coughing fit."

"D'anam don diabhal!" Killian cursed again. The Guardians held their weapons toward the black bird and he cawed, "Phantom Queen will have power again! You fake gods and your worshipers will fall on the 52nd day of _Mí na Samhna."_

Before the Guardians could say anything the crow flew out. They could not catch him as Killian flew through another cyclone that appeared just then and quickly vanished.

"What just happened?" Jack asked.

"We got outsmarted by a bird, that's what." Bunny fumed. The other Guardians look just as flabbergasted.

"What did he mean by the 52nd day of Mí na Samhna?" Bridget asked aloud.

Tooth reflected over the phrase and said, "Well Mí na Samhna is the name for winter in Gaelic."

"It's the season that starts after Samhain or All Hollow's Eve as you would be most familiar." Ombric added to Bridget and Jack.

"_Phantom Queen, where have I heard that name?" _Bridget thought over the bird's words. _"Unless…" _Bridget's eyes widened and declared, " I know who the Crow Lady is!"

The Guardians all turned their heads to the girl while she held her look of determination.

"You do?" Jack still held some skepticism.

"We I have a good idea who it might be." Bridget admitted. "But it's so far the only lead we might have." She pointed her finger up in the air and called in a silly fashion, "TO THE LIBRARY!-because that's were I left my backpack."

* * *

"It should be around in here." Bridget mumbled while shoving her hand in her pack. All seven of the Guardians and the human were in the library at a table while she was looking through her bag. Ombric earlier told the children to return to their homes and they were fine with that and were pleased to be with their parents again.

"What are you looking for again?" Jack asked while leaning on a bookshelf. Mr. Qwerty quickly shooed him away and complained that the books were getting cold.

"My text books from BCC."

"BCC?" Tooth inquired.

"Burgess Community College. I go there on the weekends for college credits." Bridget smiled at the memory. "One of the few places where I was taken seriously. And where I could talk about magic stuff without looking like a weirdo. One of the classes I took was about ancient mythology across the world. After meeting Jamie, I kinda got re-interested in old legends again."

The Guardians smiled at that until Bridget grunted and said, "Here we are, _'Celtic Gods and Goddesses: _Braille edition.'" She held up a brown book with gold lettering and a Celtic knot in the middle. The moment she opened the book several pieces of paper fell out and landed on the floor.

"Some notes?" Jack offered the papers back. Bridget shook her head. "No, those are pictures Jamie drew for me." She grinned and held a far off look. "He kept complaining that the books I had didn't have any pictures of the people or places mentioned. So I read aloud what they looked like and he drew them out. I didn't have the heart to tell him putting pictures in a Braille book was pointless."

The Guardians exchanged smiles while Bridget skimmed through her book. Jack noticed that inside the book was filled with nothing but hundreds of dots. How anyone could read all of that was a mystery to him, especially with so many pages. Bridget looked so focused as her hands barely touched a page and turned through another. She didn't even notice a small trace of her bangs lying on her face. Jack had the sudden urge to pull it back but went back into reality before he could look foolish. Out of embarrassment, he quickly pulled it off to look like he had been going to scratch his head… but just barely.

"Here it is," Bridget proclaimed. The Guardians looked over her head and saw another drawing next to the page. The picture was of a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair and pale white skin. Not the kind Jack had but a sickly pale skin. Her eyes were red and piercing, holding a menacing aura about them. And most of all, her clothing was a long dress or black feathers. "'The Morrígan, sometimes called the _Phantom Queen,_ is an Irish Celtic goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty.'" Bridget read loud as her hands scanned the page. "'She sometimes appears in the form of a crow, flying above the warriors' in bloodshed battles'-At least we know where the crow thing comes from," Bridget commented. "'She is beautiful as she is deadly with very powerful magic and calculating skills in battle strategy. One of her other associations is the…goddess of Death.'" She sighed before continuing, "'She leads the deceased souls from battle to the Otherworld'-A.K.A. the Underworld-'and creates paths to where they would travel onto the next life."

Silence filled the room as everyone took in the information. "Is there anything else?" Bunny asked.

Bridget shook her head. "That's all the book says about her except she was part of 'the People of the goddess Danu_.'"_

"Tuatha Dé Danann" Ombric said with grief. Everyone turned to him in surprise.

"How did you know that?" North asked in astonishment.

"Because I knew them. They were a proud race of gods much older than the Man in the Moon." He shook his head in disbelief. "But I had always thought they have been dead for over 5000 years."

* * *

**Q-A:** Oh yeah, do I deliver or what? You should be honored that I did this with a sore throat. XP Man those suck. Most of what was said of the Morrígan was a bit of wiki, another website and what I remembered from this book series called _The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. _Despite it being about magic and fantasy I didn't really like it all that much. :\ Either 'cause I was expecting a Harry Potter/Percy Jackson epic or whatever but I don't know.

I also want to be perfectly clear on the comment Bridget said about the crow's speaking. I DON'T HATE GEALIC! I actually like listening to the language and being of Scottish heritage I completely respect other Celtic cultures. It's just that Bridget's a naive American. XD I think we all have those moments too, no? Speaking of Gaelic, here are the translations of the phrases used in this chapter.

Go h-ifreana libh -Go to hell.

D'anam don diabhal-Your soul to the devil.

Don't asked how they are pronounced it makes no sense. DX

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	9. Snowballs & Sadtimes

**Q-A: **To be honest I don't think I have anything to say for this chapter. Except another character from the book is making an appearance. :D Before warned my knowledge about this one is much more limited than the others but please bare with me if the person seems a little occ, but again, NOT. MY. FAULT!

Disclaimer: I own only Bridget and the Morrígan's personality. Everything else…you should know where they go. The song mentioned aren't mine either.

* * *

_~Snowballs & Sad-times~_

Pages upon pages turned as Bridget's hands brushed each raised dot on them. She quickly flipped the page because it had a dead end and turned over to a new one. "Could you turn a page more **gently**, please? I am a butterfly not your least favorite textbook from school." Mr. Qwerty's voice rung out and Bridget apologized.

The redhead was in the library again as Mr. Qwerty was kind enough to keep open long enough for the girl's irregular reading hours. But could anyone really blame her? Reading, so far, had become the only thing she could contribute toward the Guardians and reading anything about the Morrígan was a must. At the moment Bridget was reading Mr. Qwerty's wings-pages…whatever on the Tuatha Dé Danann. Bridget sighed in irritation when there was nothing groundbreaking on the Goddess.

"Are there anymore books that mentions if the Morrígan has a weakness. Like a fear of Jell-o or kittens?" Bridget asked after **gently **closing Mr. Qwerty's wings. He flew above her and answered, "No, most of the books we had of her and her people have been gone for some time."

Bridget pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed in through it. _"There has got to be some more accurate info about this woman…unless…" _She exhaled. "Mr. Qwerty, take me to Ombric…please."

"What for?"

"He has to know something besides the Tuta-de-damn-or whatever being older than the moon." Bridget got up and put her coat on, as Mr. Qwerty fluttered behind her, trying to convince that going to Ombric was a bad idea.

"But all the information we have on the **Tuatha Dé Danann** is in this library, and besides do you not recall what Ombric spoke of the other day?"

Bridget's hand was on the doorknob. "Yes, I do." Bridget answer sullenly. She remembered every word spoken.

* * *

"_And their magic is much stronger than any of us could ever imagine." Ombric practically lied on the chair he sat on while the others took in his words. _

"_How can their magic be stronger than us?" Jack asked incredulously. "We're the ones MiM picked, right?"_

"_It's not about that Jack," North stated while placing his large hand on the winter spirit's shoulder. "The People of Danu lived during a time before Manny ever came to Earth."_

"_Earth?" Bridget titled her head in interest. "You make it sound like he's from another galaxy." _

"_Is there something wrong with bein' from a different galaxy?" Bunny tensed while crossing his arms. Bridget blinked and stuttered an apology. _

"_Athena," Ombric called to a snowy owl with blue tipped feathers. He wrote out a small scroll and tied to the bird's foot. "Send this message to Tempus, he must arrive at once."_

"_Who?" Jack asked while keeping a snowflake in the air to entertain himself.  
_

"_Why Father Time of course. He is the keeper of time, so naturally he should know something about the Tuatha Dé Danann along with the other elder." He sighed before continuing. "An ancient being that knows much of the land and natural world."_

"_And who would that be." Bridget regretted asking that the moment she heard a collective shudder from the older Guardians. _

"_Someone who we didn't think of meetin' again, Shelia. Mother Nature." Bunny answered in an unusually worried tone. _

* * *

Bridget sighed and opened the door. _"They won't be coming for another few hours but I might as well get to learn something beforehand." _She concluded while climbing down the library's front steps. Mr. Qwerty flew right behind her, insisting that leaving was a very bad idea.

"Ombric is still resting from all of the magic he used to heal Trevvor from the wounds he got from that crow earlier today. Not to mention Ombric also protected you. It does explain why the village's shield didn't work." Mr. Qwerty said offhandedly.

"That and apparently the Morrígan's magic is stronger than Ombric's." Bridget pointed out.

"That too, which is the reason why the Elders must converse with one another today to make a decision of the Guardians' quest."

"I didn't know that." Jack appeared landing right near them, surprising Bridget and the English-speaking insect.

"Is this gonna become a regular thing with you popping out of nowhere?" Bridget asked impatiently. They had ceased walking and were now standing on the street between the library and the tree.

Jack smirked. "It might." His looked turned serious. "Are those elder guys really coming?"

Mr. Qwerty sighed exasperatedly. "Of course the **Elders**," he placed large emphasis on the word like before. "Will be coming to discuss on the charge that the Man in the Moon gave you and decide on how important it is."

"Isn't the fate of children important enough?" Bridget offered while raising her hand.

"It's not their fate that Ombric wishes to speak of toward the other Elders." The two teenagers held baffled looks and the book-butterfly-thing decided to take his leave. "And now if you excuse me, I have an encyclopedia on _Hamster Languages_ that needs to be re-catalogued."

Without question Mr. Qwerty left and shut the door on his way in.

"Why must I always get abandon and dumped with you?" Bridget groaned and put her hands in her coat pockets and stalked away. Jack arched an eyebrow in disbelief and shook. "Wait, what's wrong with me?" he stopped the braided girl from walking away by using his cane to block her path. "Am I really that annoying to you?"

Bridget absorbed the Guardian's words and quickly felt at fault. She shook her head and took a breath. "There's nothing wrong with you and you don't annoy me." Bridget finished with a reassuring smile.

The smile caught Jack by surprise and a violet hue appeared on his face. "Then why do act like your mad at me sometimes?" He tried to be careful with his words, not wanting Bridget to get offended.

Bridget stifled a smile and decided to tease him a little. "Let me answer that with another question. Why do you think I freaked out about this whole…" she motioned hands up in the air before finishing, "experience?"

Jack blinked, leaning away instinctively. "Because…it was…mean?"

Bridget laughed. "Because I was caught off guard. Getting sent to the North Pole. Meeting the rest of the Guardians. Fight dumb black birds. Meeting Gandalf's cousin-" Jack assumed she meant Ombric-"and learn that an ancient race of gods might, probably exist. That is usually stuff normal people don't get roped into."

"Who said anything about us being normal?" Jack countered with a crooked grin as he leaned on his staff, finding her indirect joke amusing.

Bridget shrugged. "Touché, except for that fact I am the only mortal one in our little group, team-thing. But still, this whole 'chosen one' deal is definitely hard for me to swallow." She touched her right wrist in worry. "I'm just not use to getting this much attention."

"Are you…" Jack hesitated. "Are you ignored?"

His eyes soften when he saw her pained look. "Sometimes…. most people do it so they don't offend me, ya know. Not that I could see anyways." Bridget spun her cane while thinking aloud. "But I know the real reason. Kids, at the schools I went to, think I couldn't be someone to rely on because of my disability. 'Think I'm weak' or something like that."

"You weak?" Jack chuckled to lighten the mood. "If anyone can fight birds with their hearing that would be you."

Bridget blushed and pulled her left shoulder a bit. "I still don't have magic powers."

"Neither did Jamie and his friends and they still helped the Guardians and me defeat Pitch."

"Well you guys aren't fighting Pitch this time. It's this Morrígan person, who we have no real idea is like and I still need to research her more and-" "Hey slow down." Jack called out to the near hysteric girl. Bridget took a deep breath and sighed. "Sorry," Bridget fixed her bangs. "I get stressed easily."

"So I see," he observed. The winter spirit smiled when he thought of something. "What you need is a good dose of fun."

Bridget gave him a look. "Fun? I don't have time f-" a small snowflake landed square on the girl's face and the familiar blue glow appeared. Jack grinned as its magic began to work.

"I just got this crazy idea but…I just want to do something really fun right now." Bridget matched Jack's grin with her own. Bridget had no idea why she felt this way but for some reason she started to think that she was working too hard and needed a break.

"You do?" Jack tried to hide his self-satisfied tone.

"Yeah something very fun."

* * *

"_Don't go in there. Don't go in there-GAH! He went into the rocket ship and is now hurdling through space. Sigh. Super job there, genius." _Bridget rolled her eyes as she flipped through another page. When it turned out to be the end Bridget picked up another book from a pile on her left and placed the read book on her right in an ever-growing pile. She was in the library again while Jack was at a nearby corner annoyed that his effort for Bridget to have 'fun' didn't work in his favor.

"_Apparently, we have different ideas of what fun is, this girl and me." _ When he saw her pick out a **very **thick book that was the last straw. "Are you seriously going to spend your time here?"

"Shh~ no yelling the library." Bridget whispered before smirking mischievously.

"How is reading in a stuffy room fun?" Jack ignored her and the glares from other readers across the room they were in.

"Reading **is **fun." Bridget defended. "You can use your imagination to come up with the most amazing things. I've been doing it for years now."

"But there's more to life than just reading." Jack insisted, wanting her to get his point.

"Well if you find any activities that blind people can do, tell me." Bridget smiled ruefully. Believing she won her argument Bridget started to read her book until a pair of hands pluck the book out of hers.

"Hey!" Bridget shouted angrily. The other readers immediately shushed her.

"Who's being the loud one now?" Jack asked shamelessly as he stood on the top of his cane, dangling the book inches from Bridget's fingers. She pouted at her failure and crossed her arms.

"Hypocrite."

"Come outside with me for some **real **fun and I'll give your precious book back."

"Oh you evil villain." Bridget barked with sarcasm. Just as before the redhead was shushed. "Okay fine but it better be worth it." Bridget half-whispered.

"Trust me, it will." Jack promised. He floated to the door and Bridget reluctantly fallowed him.

* * *

"So what are we gonna do?" Bridget's feet shuffled through the snow. The two of them were near Big Root with being a few yards from the steps. She looked rather uncomfortable as she puffed out little white clouds of warm air. Jack didn't want her to be miserable and decided to get his plan underway.

"Today I'll be teaching you how to take in the art of snowman making." Jack announced in a proper tone.

"And that's going to work…"

"You'll see." Jack began while patting a snowball together. He placed it on Bridget's mitten hands. "All you gotta do is roll it on the ground and make it bigger. Once it's big as you can make it, it'll be the bottom."

Bridget crouched down and did just that. Despite getting a good start she still struggled slightly and Jack joined her. "We'll make it together." Jack decided and Bridget nodded in agreement. "Two heads are better than one."

"About that, why did you take the blame for crashing North's sleigh?" Jack was still confused over that.

Bridget pursed her lips. "You acted weird before we crashed remember…I figured what I said must've offended you so I decided to take the heat for compensation."

"You didn't have to do that." Jack said honestly, not wanting to bring up the being offended part because he wasn't, but he didn't want to answer any questions. He told her to change a direction, or else the ball would become log shaped. "I would mostly get scolded and they would say to me what they told you." Jack continued. He was being half-truthful on that; Jack really didn't know what they would do after getting yelled at.

"I guess," Bridget shrugged. The bottom ball was completed.

"The middle ball is where it's trickier." Jack told her. "While it needs to be big enough for a torso, you still have to be able to hoist it up onto the first ball."

With their combined strength, the two were able to lift the large snowball and placed it on the bigger bottom one. Making the last one was even less of a challenge and easier to hoist up with its smaller size. "Great," Bridget congratulated. "To bad we don't have any buttons or carrots for the eyes and nose."

Jack picked up two pebbles from the ground and offered them to her. "We can use these rocks for the eyes."

"And an icicle for the nose?" Bridget suggested while grinning, finally getting into the spirit of things.

Jack mirrored her smile and nodded. With some direction from Jack, Bridget placed the stones and a recently made icicle perfectly on the snowman's face. "I bet it's a real beauty."

"Yeah," Jack noticed how bright Bridget's eyes looked. He quickly realized she meant the snowman. He coughed nervously trying to ignore these thoughts while looking away.

"Do you think you could teach me how to make another snowball?" Bridget asked, conveniently clearing his thoughts away.

"Uh yeah sure." Jack pulled on Bridget's sleeve to motion her to squat. She did and they were now up close to the snowy ground. "All you need to do is take some snow, squeeze into a ball and just redo the steps we did for the snowm-" Pow! A snowball hit Jack in the face. Bridget giggled as he wiped the snow off his face.

"Oh, I bet the look on your face was priceless!" Bridget laughed some more.

"You didn't want to make snowman at all did you?" Jack smirked in realization at her trick.

"Maybe~" Bridget sung and jumped away when she heard Jack move slightly. It was smart of her because Jack now had a snowball of his own and proudly declared. "You picked the wrong person to start a snowball fight with."

"Oh I'm so~ scared." Bridget mocked after dodging another snowball.

* * *

"How about this room? It looks less bodgy than the last one." North poked his head into the room Bunny was pointing toward and shook his head. "Нет. Room must have furniture. How else vill Elders sit? You never know if meeting lasts longer than planned."

Bunny shrugged. "Fair enough. But let's take a break, hah? We've been at this for a while." He glanced over at Tooth who did seem a bit weary. They did busy themselves with getting Big Root ready since the other day, without much of a break but of course it had to be done. The last time the Elders ever came together was a very long time ago. A good five hundred years give or take a decade. Tooth gave Bunny a grateful look and leaned near a door to rest. She tripped when the closed door turned out to be ajar. Thankfully Tooth did not fall, due to her wings. Sandy went to her to see if she was okay. She gave him a thumb's up before he unceremoniously peaked in the room and let out a silent gasp.

The other Guardians noticed their smaller companion staring and stood near the door to be just as surprised as he was. The room was once the inventing room for North during his days living in the Santoff Claussen village.

"Shostakovich," North whispered as he walked in. The others joined him while examining the room. White sheets that were thinly layered with gray dust covered everything as the obnoxious smell of mothballs embraced the room. No cobwebs were in sight most likely due to Ombric's ability to talk to spiders. Sandy walked over to a chair and removed its sheet. The chair was in good quality with signs of damage. It was a vintage Queen Anne with blue and yellow floral upholstery on the seat.

"Oh~" Tooth cried. "Look at this," she held a little metallic box with a windup key. "I remembered when you and Bunny worked on this, North." She twisted the key a few times before letting it go.

The key began to move on its own and music began to play. As if by magic, a small opening appeared and a little golden bird with emerald eyes came on a perch, tweeting in harmony with the song. The beautiful melody filled the once murky room while light, cracking through the covered curtains, shined on the bird and made it gleam even more. The magic soon came to an end when the key stopped turning and the bird descended back into its little box, awaiting for the next time it'll be of use.

"Such a charming air that music box has." The four Guardians turned to see Ombric by the doorway whilst leaning on his cane. "I almost forgot the tune until now."

"Sorry," North said while taking back the box and placing it back on the table. "Ve did not mean to vake you."

Ombric raised his hand in pardon. "No I was already awake. I only came down when I heard the music play." While walking into the room Ombric studied more of the trinkets. "I was hoping you would find this room." He sighed nostalgically. "Many years had passed since I've seen any of you here." At the word 'here' the Guardians winced slightly, they knew he meant the village and not just the room.

"Well ya know with busy schedules and other stuff getting in the way…" Bunny trailed off no longer wanting to excuse himself.

"We really did want to visit," Tooth insisted until her feathers drooped down. "But…"

"Too many memories here make you think of the past." Ombric suggested but didn't question. The Guardians heads hung low and Ombric got his answer. "I see." He walked over to the covered windows and pushed the curtains aside to bring more sunlight in. He looked outside and smiled at the sight before him.

Ombric walked away from the window and placed a hand on North's shoulder and said, "I remember a saying…the things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect." He motioned toward the window and the Guardians went over to see Jack and Bridget having a snowball fight and laughing happily.

"'Scary how much they're alike huh?" Bunny mused with a small smile.

"Very." North nodded.

"Honor _their_ memory." Ombric bid them. "Honor it by keeping those two safe."

He stride out of the room and paused his walking before adding, "I wish to keep this room open for now on. So please don't close it on your way out." He gave them a wave and walked out of the room, leaving them to mull over their thoughts.

Sandy was the first to 'speak' as he created images above his head. "I agree with Sandy." Tooth declared. "We've been holding onto the past long enough."

"Yes," North concurred. "Ve need to focus on finding more on the Morrígan and fixing sleigh."

"Even with the old tools?" Bunny asked while they walked out of the room.

"Even with old tools," North admitted. "Ve must not waste time."

They left the room, keeping the door wide open, to show that they were no longer afraid of the past and did not wish to abandon it anymore.

* * *

"Hello," Jack waved enthusiastically at a passing villager and smiled broadly when he waved back. He and Bridget were strolling down the village to get their blood flowing again from the snowball fight. Naturally Jack won but _honorably _mentioned that Bridget was a formidable foe, which earned him a hood full of snow and Bridget getting pelted by a wave of snowballs. As a result it caused the redhead to get cold and suggested they go back to Big Root to warm up. When she realized that wouldn't work for Jack she quickly proposed that she could walk around with to keep her blood moving and get warm through that.

"You like saying hi to people don't ya," Bridget observed while they passed by some houses. "That was the sixth person you greeted in the last two minutes." She was very amused by this quirk Jack apparently held and started to think it was a bit charming. _"God, I gotta stop thinking like this." _Bridget inwardly frowned while her stomach did funny things.

"-ever tired it?"

"Hmm, w-what?" Bridget fell out of her thoughts and looked towards Jack's direction.

"I said 'have ever tried it?' You know saying hi to someone?" Bridget could clearly hear the sarcasm but also some genuine interest.

"I've done it," Bridget mumbled while her left hand clung to her right wrist.

"Have you tried it **here**?" Jack lightly to ease her mood.

"Not exactly…"

"Well then try it."

Bridget pursed her lips, contemplating over it, and decided to give it a shot. When a woman passed by Bridget made a tentative murmur, "Hello."

The woman paused for a moment, nodded politely, and said, "Good day." She greeted Jack too and continued her pace down the street.

Bridget smiled happily and Jack gloated. "See, wasn't that good?"

"It was a good feeling." Bridget admitted, brushing some of her bangs.

"That's what I've been feeling all day," Jack corresponded. "Saying hi to an adult, them saying hi back, it's-it's really great."

Bridget frowned when she thought of something. "Was it really that lonely then? For 300 years you were-" she faltered and shook her head. "Never mind that was rude of me to ask-" "No," Jack amended. "You're right, those 300 years were lonely."

Jack clutched his staff and sighed sadly. "I didn't have anybody to talk to, save the occasional encounter with Sandy or Bunny." He smirked at the last one. "But I did have the wind though." On cue a cool current of air blew around the two as Bridget giggled. "It was always there for me even if we never talked." He held a faraway look before adding, "The moon was also there but he never said anything to me unless you count telling me my name." Jack glared at the ground and unknowingly made the ice around them harden. Bridget winced from the cold. Feeling Jack was unhappy Bridget thought up of something that could cheer him up. "Do you like music?"

Jack raised an eyebrow, "…yeah."

Bridget knowingly grinned. "Then I got something to show ya." She knelt down, removing her backpack, then unzipping it and took out a very small silver square with a circle on it with symbols that Jack recognized on larger devices for music players. "It's an _iPod shuffle_, I can play music on this without looking at a screen." She took out some of those tiny ear phones Jack saw other kids, like Jamie and his friends use, and connected it to the device. She wiped the earbuds clean and placed one in her ear and offered the other toward Jack. "Here."

Jack stared at the earbud with uncertainty not sure what might happen. He decided to put aside his concerns put it in. Bridget pressed the middle button and music played.

"_Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck  
Some nights I call it a draw  
Some nights I wish that my lips could build a castle  
Some nights I wish they'd just fall off"_

Jack's eyes widen at the lyrics. The song's soft music seemed to grow with each word._  
_

"_But I still wake up, I still see your ghost  
Oh, Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for oh  
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?  
Most nights I don't know anymore…"_

"Pretty good huh?" Bridget asked while lowering the volume slightly, allowing the fallowing chants to still be heard. "The band's called _Fun.,_ there was this gut feeling I had that you'd like the band just by the name alone. Oh and this song's pretty good too." Bridget added with a smile.

"It's really good." Jack said in awe.

Bridget nodded in understanding. "According to the band it's about a guy who's far from home and feels troubled."

"Sounds familiar," Jack grinned in remembrance.

"I, uh thought about you like the song for that." She bit her lip before adding, "And I thought listening to some music could cheer you up."

Jack smiled sincerely. "Thanks."

"_Well, some nights I wish that this all would end  
'Cause I could use some friends for a change.  
And some nights I'm scared you'll forget me again-"_

The lines seemed to speak Bridget's thoughts and she wanted to say something, anything to him. "Yeah...well-" "Jack! Bridget!" They both turned and the winter spirit saw Tooth flying toward them, her face full of mixed feelings. Bridget removed the earbuds and turned off the shuffle. She also inched herself away from Jack, after realizing the close contact they were sharing.

"What's wrong Tooth?" Jack inquired, concerned about how worried she looked.

"They're here!" Tooth chimed, her Mini-fairies echoing the sound.

"The Elders?" Bridget insinuated. She placed her backpack on herself again after re-zipping it.

Tooth nodded. "North told me to get you both to Big Root right away."

"How far are we?"

"About a half-mile away." Jack answered while squinting his eyes in the direction of the tree.

Bridget's eyes widened. "Seriously? We walked that far?"

"You did, I floated most of the time." Jack grinned.

The redhead coughed the word 'lazy' and Jack gave her an annoyed look. Tooth stifled a laugh but quickly reminded them of the Elders. The two kids got to it as they fallowed the older Guardian.

"I heard you we in one of Ombric's classes the other day." Tooth mentioned to Bridget.

"Yeah I did." Bridget answered. "Since none of you guys were around, and I was technically missing school, I thought I'd learn something there."

"Did you?" Tooth asked politely.

"Let me put it this way, I was paying more attention there than I would in Algebra IV." She started laughing only to realize the other two weren't. Bridget smiled sheepishly as an awkward silence fell in the group.

* * *

"Tooth should be back vith them in-Oh there they are now." North's voice could be heard as Bridget and the others neared the steps. They ceased walking once Bridget could touch the railing of the stairs.

"Jack, Tooth and Bridget these are the Elders to Manny. You already know Ombric obviously. Tempus, Father Time…." North paused before finishing, "and of course Mother Nature."

Bridget felt an uneasy feeling come into her body as she heard the alien voice of a woman. "So this girl is whom the Man in the Moon chose?"

Bridget walked up an inch closer and spoke with confidence, "Yeah that's just about right." "_So far so good, I just gotta keep talking like this." _"My name is-AH!" Bridget yelled in alarm as a cold tingly feeling reached her back. She jumped around until the feeling went away. The black salamander with blue stripes covering its back and legs fell out of her coat and landed on the ground. Its beady eyes stared at everyone with a calculating look and scurried away like before.

"Again, the weird things happen to me." Bridget sighed.

"An unusual trait that Tsar Lunar seemed to overlooked." Mother Nature observed coolly.

"_So much for a good first impression." _Both Jack and Bridget thought as they shared a collective sigh.

* * *

**Q-A: **Yeah, yeah this chapter was really short but I am so tired and have a small case of writer's block that I like to call laziness. I will get the better swing of things next week. ;) Just hang in there my readers. And yes I enjoy Fun.'s music and _Some Nights_ has been a fave of mine since I saw the trailer for Wreck-it-Ralph. :D I believe it's a good song about Jack especially with the later lyrics. I might incorporate them in the story or maybe a sequel? I won't keep my hopes up but who knows? Also the line Ombric used on the Guardians was totally from the _HP: and the Order of the Phoenix _from Luna Lovegood. ^-^ I just love her character a lot. XD

bodgy- worse or bad.

Нет- No.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	10. Seek for the Truth

**Q-A: **Hi everybody! Thanks for the reviews so far and all of the fallows and faves. ^-^ They make me very happy. Here's chapter diez (ten)! We'll be seeing some shocks and revelations revealed. But don't hold it against me; sometimes angst needs to be placed in a story for a reason. But don't send any knives and pitchforks at me! I'll never be able to explain that one to my folks.

I'M REALLY SORRY THIS TOOK LONGER THAT NORMAL! But seeing how this chapter is over 10,000 words is pretty much a lot for me. And over 52,000 words in total. YAY!

Disclaimer: are all mine. People, places and things mentioned in the books and movies aren't mine. Neither are the songs or musicians.

* * *

_~Seek for the Truth~_

"Jamie, Jamie," Sophie cheered while jumping on her brother's bed. Jamie was in the middle of an awesome sled ride, led by Jack Frost, when he heard his sister's squealing. Groaning in disappointment that it was all a dream Jamie got up while wiping some lingering dreamsand out of his eyes. "What is it Soph?"

"Fairy, fairy," Sophie said excitedly.

"What fairy?" Jamie asked curiously. She couldn't possibly mean the Tooth Fairy, right? Neither of them lost any teeth as of late. Unless… "She might be bringing Bridget home." He smiled at the thought and asked Sophie where she saw her. The green-eyed toddler got excited and cheerfully marched out of the room. Jamie shook his head and shortly fallowed after.

"Saw fairy here and fairy flew down to front door." Sophie said as she pointed at her bedroom window.

"_Why would the Tooth Fairy need to go to the door...oh right she has Bridget with her." _Jamie mentally slapped himself. Of course the Tooth Fairy could get in a house just fine but Bridget couldn't. That's why they had to use the front door.

Jamie took his little sister's hand and they went down the stairs. They didn't speak so they wouldn't wake their mom as they walked through the living room and were at the door.

"Remember Sophie, don't scream like the last time the Tooth Fairy came. We can't wake up Mom."

"Okay." Sophie bobbed her head excitedly.

Jamie clutched the doorknob and turned it. He opened the door and to his shock did not see anyone there. Jamie and Sophie held looks of confusion until the oh-so familiar sound was heard.

The Bennett siblings' vision was covered by black wings and glowing red eyes soon after.

* * *

_"Don't worry about a thing,  
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"_

"_Ingenious words, Mr. Marley." _Bridget thought wearily while listening to the song with Jack. She wasn't bored with the music at all. But sitting in a room, for a good two hours, was starting to get a little irksome. "_At least the others sound fine." _

While Jack was lying on the wall with Bridget, occasionally tapping his fingers to a song, the other Guardians were doing their best to entertain themselves as they waited in a drawing room near the study where the Elders were. North was busy with over viewing new toy designs to send to the yetis, Tooth ordered one or two of her fairies to collect teeth, Bunny painted a growing pile of Easter eggs, and Sandy made a dreamsand image of tic-tac-toe and played against a glowworm. Sandy was winning by a landslide.

"'_Cause every little thing gonna be-"_

"Hey it stopped." Jack snapped his eyes open when the music was no longer playing. Bridget sighed and removed the earphones from its connection with the _iPod shuffle._ "The battery's dead."

"Too bad, I wanted to hear that Dr. Freeze guy after that one." Jack said with obvious disappointment. "What's his music called again?"

"New Jack Swing," Bridget answered while wrapping up the earphones. "But it's not just his music a whole bunch of other people too. My favorite has to be the remix to _Lean on Me_." Bridget grinned sheepishly. "I'm a fan of the oldies so sue me." She groaned when she remembered something. "And I can't recharge the battery 'cuz I don't have the charger with me."

"Charger might not work anyway, with no power sockets in village." North pointed out without lifting his head up.

Bridget titled her head in annoyance. "You kidding me? No electricity? Then how was it I could take a bath the other night?"

"Magic." Bunny responded like it was the easiest answer in the world.

"And the heating?"

"Magic," Tooth answered after directing a Mini-fairy to Zimbabwe for two free cuspids and one lose canine from Timbuktu.

Bridget inched near Jack and said hesitantly, "Lighting?"

"What do you think?" The winter spirit smiled crookedly.

Bridget answered dryly, "Magic."

"See, now you're catching on." Jack replied while resting his arms behind his neck.

"I already did catch on." Bridget complained. "I just wish Miss Nature saw that," she muttered the last part to herself while fidgeting her wrist again.

Jack noticed her hands and curiously asked, "Why do you keep touching your wrist like that?"

Bridget blinked twice. "My wrist?" She spoke with hesitance; she did not want the discussion to move toward-"Actually I've noticed that you do that too." Aw, Tooth why did you have to chime in? Bridget could feel them all staring at her now.

An uncomfortable feeling rested in her stomach. The unsettling feeling reminded Bridget of butterflies but she thought that didn't sound right to her. Mini-fairies made more sense out of the situation. Yeah, Bridget had the feeling of Mini-fairies in her stomach. She felt her mouth dry up, and licked her lips.

"_Easy, they just want to know the wrist thing, not you whole life story."_ Bridget exhaled and pulled out her right sleeve.

Jack's dark eyebrows vanished into his white hair when he saw a glittery object on the girl's wrist. It was a bracelet made from strands of gold twisted together. The jewelry had open-ended at the front and fit Bridget's wrist perfectly. The bracelet was lose enough that it wasn't stopping blood circulation, but tight enough so that it didn't slip off while Bridget raised it slightly.

"It's beautiful." Tooth was the first to speak.

"A good shine too," Bunny, added with fascination.

"Very nice," North complimented. "But vhy hide such a lovely trinket?"

North took Jack's words out of his mouth.

Bridget turned her head, a soft blush appearing on her face. "Do you know how little kids have security blankets to comfort themselves when they're scared? This bracelet is like that for me too." She absentmindedly caressed the metal. "I touch it whenever I get nervous or uncomfortable. The bracelet makes me feel safe because I've always had it since I was little."

"There's more to the story isn't there," Bunny observed Bridget's unhappy look. She nodded and became rigid. Concern feelings entered Jack as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Bridget shrugged it off and sighed in defeat. She might as well…

"When I was eight years old, all I remembered was that I was sleeping. Sleeping for who knows how long, but where I was sleeping it felt cold, really cold. When I awoke I remembered seeing a light, it was so bright and comforting somehow. But just as I saw it, it went away." She swallowed a growing lump until she continued. "When the light vanished, all I could see was the darkness I normally see now. But I wanted to see the light. I wanted to feel its warmth again.

"So I got up from under this wooden thing I slept under and walked, hoping I could find the light again." Bridget smiled ruefully as the memories rolled in. "The ground I walked on felt cold, like snow, and-no offence Jack-I needed to find a place that was warm and walked to it. Not too long before I could feel my feet on a hard surface. I was walking on a sidewalk and heard voices swarming around me. But I was so dazed and confused I couldn't hear voices calling to me. Witnesses later said I was jaywalking." Jack arched an eyebrow in confusion but remained silent.

Bridget chocked back tears started to breathe deeply. Jack and the others looked very worried until Bridget held up a hand. "I'm fine. I'm fine." The last one sounded like she was trying to reassure herself.

"Next thing I knew, I was on a hospital bed with tubes connected to my arms and I felt sore all over. The doctors said the fender of a car passing by hit me. They said it was a miracle I survived from all of the head injuries I had." The tears fell down in a gentle flow but Bridget did not stop. "When they asked for my name and home address all I could remember was that my name was Bridget. Nothing else. All I wore was a tattered, old dress and this bracelet, but no I.D on me.

"And that's all I remember. I don't know who gave this bracelet, where it came from or me for that mattered. Everywhere I went it was always the same answer from jewelry makers, they had no clue who made it because it looked so different and old. It was similar with people too. No one knew who I was or where I came from." Bridget shook her head and wiped her face clean while sniffling.

A very uncomfortable silence filled the room as the Guardians took in the girl's sad sermon.

"So you have no other memories?" Jack spoke softly, feeling he was walking on eggshells around the fragile girl.

"Kind of a Anastasia story huh?" Bridget smiled bitterly. "No memory before childhood, a special jewelry no one can decipher, and an orphan. Heaven forbid I turn out to be the long-lost child of a royal family." She barked a laugh, trying to ease off the chilling mood.

Before anyone could retort, the doors to the study swung open and the three Elders came walking out, quite gracefully Jack thought. He held the urge to snicker at the over dramatics. "We have made our decision." Mother Nature spoke without hesitation...

"After much thought it was best concluded that **none** of you are to go the face the Morrígan."

Anger boiled within Jack as he stood up, ready to them a piece of his mind.

"Are you kidding me?!" Bridget shot up, yelling with venom in her voice. "After what I've been through and these guys you're just saying no?"

Mother Nature squinted, like Bridget was nothing more than a bug to look at. "I understand your dismay but this is for the greater good." Her voice wavered between calm and annoyance.

"Greater good my ass-pardon my French-do you have any idea what the Guardians been through since this whole trip started?" Bridget motioned to where the Guardians were sitting before continuing. "They have been focused, determined, and motivated to do nothing else but save those kids. And seeing how 5 of them are kids I know, this is a **very** personal thing for me." She thumbed toward herself to emphasize her seriousness.

"That's exactly why my fellow Elders and I voted no." Mother Nature rejoined, as her green dress formed from soft green into a gray hurricane of discord. Her mood seemed to match the outside weather as hail began to fall. The Guardians took immediate notice and Bunny whispered warningly, "Bridget you should probably-"

"We knew that the Guardians would take this matter personally because of the bonds that have been made." Mother Nature decreed without skipping a beat.

"What bonds?" Bridget huffed. "If you're talking about Jack and-" "I speak exclusively to the others." The nature spirit snapped.

"Guys," Jack eyed his fellow Guardians. Like Sandy, the all started to stare at the ground.

"Then you don't know that North would visit a bespectacled boy and give him sword fighting lessons." Mother Nature spoke with a cool air. Everyone turned his or her heads to North's direction.

"Monty is leetle boy vith strong heart who reminds me of myself as a молодой мальчик." North admitted.

"How about when Toothiana saw the large and smaller girl when they did** not **have any missing teeth."

"Cupcake and Pippa treat my Mini-fairies with great respect." Tooth cried in defiance.

"Sanderson visits the twin boys and literally brings their dreams to life." The nature spirit strode toward the smallest Guardian. He twiddled his thumbs nervously all the while making an image of him with Claude and Caleb. Another image appeared made up of dreams being turned into reality.

"And E. Aster," Mother Nature shook her head with disdain. "I always had such high hopes for you." Whether that was a pun or not Jack had no clue. "Always so serious and determined to your little egglets, but now once every fortnight you'd spirited away the smallest of the Burgess children, and have her help paint eggs." She spoke every syllable with a poisonous tone.

Bunny's ears drooped while he stared at an unfinished egg. "The Ankle-Biter's good with handlin' my googies." He halfheartedly defended.

"What's your point?" Bridget asked while placing her hands on her hips. "So they have a couple of favorites. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Of course there is." Mother Nature scowled, her eyes turning into a stormy gray like her dress. "The Guardians will desire to protect the children even more now-"

"And how is that a bad thing?" Bridget called back and crossed her arms. "Didn't the Man in the Moon give them that job in the first place? He told them to go and rescue 40 kids that need help."

"Forty?" The black haired woman arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, the Morrígan had her crows kidnap seven children from each continent." Bridget smiled smugly before adding, "But only five from America because Jack and I saved two of them from getting captured."

"A hollow victory if I may imply." Mother Nature replied. Bridget frowned while hearing the woman continue. "Forty lives is a trivial matter compared to the lives of many more. Over a billion children live in the world and 40 taken is not even close to a fraction of that population."

"So you're just gonna let get die?" Bridget cut, fed up with the Elder's words. "How can you be so cruel? And trying to rip off _Star Trek_ quotes is crossing the line, Missy. Those kids are scared, alone, and unsure of what might happen to them and the only who might know where they are, are the Guardians."

"Oh," Mother Nature turned her direction at North. "So you **do **know where they are hidden." A ghost of a smile lay on her face.

North rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Vell, not exactly…"

"But the Morrígan is from Ireland right?" Bridget cut between them, earning a distasteful look from the woman and a sheepish, but uneasy smile from North. "I read everything this village's library has on her and the Tuatha Dé Danann made their home there in Ireland after leaving their four cities. So the Guardians and I gotta start there, I guess."

"'You guess,'" Mother Nature did not sound pleased. "Your little assumption is all you have. Weren't the Tuatha Dé Danann worshiped in all countries the Celts touched? You are very bold to narrow down that one particular country out of a dozen or more."

"If Bridget believes it's Ireland, so do I," North declared while placing his hands on the redhead's shoulders. "Manny chose her to help us and he is never wrong on his choices. A mortal woman's intuition is almost never wrong. I feel it, in my belly."

Bridget's confidence came soaring in as she lightly brushed North's hands off and said proudly, "And that's why I **know **the Guardians can save those kids. Not because they picked a couple favorites but because they will do anything to protect all children. I don't need to believe in them to know they can do it."

"You speak so highly of them," Mother Nature observed in almost admiration. "Either you have a strong belief or you are very delusional." Bridget was about to retort but the Elder cut her off. "It will only be a matter of time before you, yourself will grow up and become an adult. Answer me this, when you grow up will you still think highly of the Guardians and believe in them even if they cannot no longer protect you?"

Without skipping a beat Bridget said, "Yes." Her voice filled with passion. She (hopefully) was staring directly at Mother Nature, not faltering from her ground.

While staring into the girl's unwavering eyes Mother Nature almost felt a spark inside her grow. Was it sympathy? Interest? Or regret? Honestly she did not know but Mother Nature did feel something while looking into the mortal's metallic gray eyes. A memory resurfaced into the older woman's mind as she could almost hear a small girl's laughter and a husky chuckle from an older man.

Mother Nature scrunched her eyes, swatting away the memory as she spoke aloud. "My words will remain firm and neutral as I have always been toward you all before these unfortunate events." Her frown deepened. "So it seems you would rather take the advisory of a nearing adult that myself."

"That's not true," Tooth, insisted, clasping her hands in deep sincerity. "We trust your judgment very well. There's a reason MiM chose you, Tempus, and Ombric to make final decisions on important matters like this."

"And yet you choose the adolescent here over mine." Mother Nature turned her head at Bridget. "Mark my words, Miss Bridget, there will be a moment when something goes wrong."

Bridget's mind wandered to harmful thoughts, _"And you will be the cause of it like before-"_

The redhead shook her head while she failed to stop the tears from falling and ran out of the room. She rammed and bumped into furniture along the way-"Dammit!"-but Bridget didn't stop.

Tooth held a very distraught look and started to fly toward Bridget's direction. She paused mid-flight when she felt a pressure on her shoulder. "Let her be," Bunny counseled wisely while his paw rested on Tooth.

Mother Nature held a very shocked expression that turned into surprise when she saw Jack Frost hold his staff near her face. She didn't know whether to laugh or be angry.

"Go to Bridget and apologize." Jack commanded, his face cold and stiff. "Now."

She decided this was a humorous moment.

"Ha," Mother Nature chortled. "This has to be the most droll thing I have seen all day. A mere winter spirit giving me orders." Her amused expression turned serious. "Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?"

Jack tightened his hold on the staff. "No, but you're Mother Nature right? So where's the _**motherly**_ part in there?"

The woman slackened her shoulders and jaw tensed. "I am not always a benevolent soul. Like nature I am forever changing." With a wave of her hand, the hailing from outside ceased and sunlight was seen through the windows. "You should learn to give me more respect Jack Frost, who do you think allows you to fly with the wind? The same wind I control."

Jack lowered his cane as his eyes widened. "You control the wind? But I always thought that I…"

"I control the winds and clouds, and cause hail and lightning, as you have all witnessed." She smiled proudly. "My very presence also imbues leaves, rain, snow, thunder and lightning. I can be anywhere on Earth as I please."

"Then do you know where the children are?" Bunny letting go of Tooth and asked cautiously, knowing Mother Nature could be very unpredictable.

"No," Mother Nature replied with slight remorse. "But as of late I have felt an unsettling occurrence in Ireland. I cannot reach my thoughts there or sense anything else."

Bunny crossed his arms in affirmation. "So the big Ankle-Biter's theory was true. And you said different."

"I only was testing the girl." Mother Nature turned to Ombric. "I was told by Ombric that he was unable to do so with the incidents at play."

"The girl obviously has no ill intentions and has a good heart. Even if there seems to be a burden holding her back." Ombric added with a poignant tone.

"A burden that may jeopardize your mission." Tempus finally spoke up, having a voice so ancient that it boomed with awesome power. "Along with the other theory we conceived."

"Vhat theory?" North asked.

"It's only a theory," Ombric insisted before pausing. "But it might still become a reality if you all do not acted quick enough. We Elders believe the Morrígan may want to use the children for some sort of sacrament."

"Collecting nearly seven children from each continent cannot be a mere coincidence." Mother Nature cut in. "She must want them for a ritual; a ritual that might affect all of you Guardians. Why else would she capture a few children you all know personally?"

"They're gonna be used as bait," Jack finalized while still in daze from his confrontation with Mother Nature. She controlled the wind? But he always thought the wind was a force on all its own. A power that Jack did not control but could ask and be taken wherever he wished.

"What kind of ritual?" Tooth asked, choosing to ignore the question.

"That we do not know. Our knowledge before the Man in the Moon's time is very limited. We may be old as him but this goddess who challenges you all is much more older and powerful." Tempus admitted. "But we do know the rite will conspire on a date of natural importance to the world." His face darkened before stating, "A day when darkness and magic are at its strongest."

"The Winter Solstice." The Guardians said in unison. "Figures," Jack muttered under his breath.

"If the Morrígan does become a threat, she will rise." Mother Nature warned. "But she can only be successful if you are all defeated."

"Naturally we would believe it best you stay far from her as possible." Ombric explained. "That was of course before Miss Bridget made her argument. I am willing to change my vote for that, under the belief you will all succeed in finding the objects MiM instructed you to find."

Tempus kept a firm grip on his hourglass staff while stroking his graying beard. He sighed, "I too will change my vote. If MiM willing, I see no other reason to deny your request."

All eyes turned to Mother Nature. She crossed her arms and said definitely, "I stand by my original vote and believe this to be a suicide mission." Jack was about to protest when the woman continued. "But while I do not like your choice, Guardians, I **do **respect it. Along with the girl's." She bowed to Ombric and declared, "I shall take my leave."

"I must go as well," Tempus replied while taking a pocket watch out of his copper colored robes. "'Time is of the essence' as the mortals say." But before leaving he turned to Bunny and said, "I thank you for continuing your promise E. Aster. Allowing me to control time without meddling in and all." Bunny was caught off guard but welcomed him. With a double tap of his staff Tempus became covered by a glow then vanished.

"Tempus has always favored the theatrics." The nature spirit turned her attention back to the Guardians. "I do wish you luck on your quest. Hopefully you will find these objects unlike **last **time." Mother Nature said cryptically. She placed her hand on the bark wall, gave everyone a curt nod and left in a flash.

"Do you think she's okay?" Jack asked while staring at the hallway Bridget ran to a while ago.

* * *

While breathing through her nose Bridget inched away when she heard Jack say, "Do you think she's okay?"

"She could be in room now," North's voice rumbled. "Leetle Girl needs time to herself."

"I think I should go and check." Tooth said in a motherly way. Instinctively Bridget inched away from the opening. "Naw let the Shelia have some peace." Bunny uttered gruffly. "After what Nature said to 'er I'd be surprised if she didn't shed some tears."

"Is it just me or do you guys like pretending you're someone when you're really someone else?" _"You just took the words right out of my mouth Jack," _Bridget mentally mused with a half-smile.

"There has been reason for precautions Jack Frost. We all must be on guard for what might lie ahead." Ombric warned. "My greatest concern for me is what these objects stand for."

"Maybe we should ask the Leprechaun for what he knows." Tooth optimistically suggested.

"Good idea," North replied. "It is said that he is closest relation to Tuatha Dé Deanna after all."

"Yeah, I reckon that would be a must." Bunny stated.

"Then it's settled, once sleigh is fixed ve vill travel as possible as soon is."

Bridget left right as Bunny corrected North's incorrect saying of 'ASAP.' She shut the door to her room. Bridget sighed after wiping her eyes for the umpteenth time and shuffled near her bedpost. She remembered about the date of when the Morrígan would supposedly strike.

December 21, the Winter Solstice.

Of all of the dates in the world it had to be that one. Not did that mean Bridget would be staying with the Guardians much longer than she anticipated (four whole weeks!) but it was the same day that- _"No let's not go into there. I ready have enough problems as it is." _Bridget lay down on her bed and sighed once more. She didn't bother putting a nightgown on and unceremoniously went to-KNOCK-KNOCK!

Bridget opened her eyes and reluctantly got out of the comfortable bed. She groggily dragged her feet across the floor until she could feel the doorknob on her hand and clasped it. Bridget turned the knob and could clearly hear Tooth and her Mini-fairies humming wings.

"Hi," Tooth spoke softly. "We didn't mean to wake you up."

"No it's fine," Bridget wiped the sleep from her eyes. "I wasn't completely knocked out anyways."

Tooth clasped her hands anxiously while noticing the dried tears on Bridget. "Are you okay?"

Bridget sighed, her hands still on her face. Bridget stalked over to her bed and plopped tersely on its Victorian styled quilt. She shrugged her shoulders before admitting, "To be honest I have no clue. Not only did I act like a total child, but also I practically insulted one of the most powerful beings in the world. Heck, Mother Nature is **literally **the earth. I probably screwed up your association with her too."

"Oh, no, no, no," Tooth flew over to the distraught girl, doing her best to sooth the teenager. "What you did was very brave. A bit foolish I'll admit, but brave none of the less." When she saw the girl smile slightly Tooth cheekily added, "And to be honest the Guardians and me weren't always on good terms with Mother Nature anyway. Not since…" Bridget turned her head when she heard the pause. "Well, not for a long time. All and all we thought what you did was something none of us would had the courage to do."

Bridget shrugged. "Standing up for something or for someone is an instinct for me. That's why I hate what those bullies do to Jamie and his friends." She smiled with sincerity before saying, "You know… you guys, the Guardians I mean, have been really good for the kids. I have never heard of kids with happier stories than anyone else." Her expression became full of warmth and kindness. "Sure they get picked on by older kids because they still believe in you but the things Jamie and the others say are just so wonderful. And you just being there for them really makes all the difference. That's why I didn't like what Mother Nature was saying to you guys, it felt wrong."

"You really are something little Wisdom Tooth."

Bridget stopped mid-giggle and tilted her head. "'Wisdom Tooth?'"

Tooth covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Oops, sorry that was a slip of the-"

"But why did you call me that?"

Tooth smiled sheepishly. "Well, because you…have your wisdom teeth, and you're very smart for your age-oh sorry it sounds really silly and-" "No!" Bridget held her hands up. "I don't mind it at all actually. I'm already nicknamed by North and Bunny, the only others missing are Jack and Sandy. God forbid Jack calls me 'Bridge.' I always hated it when people call me that and-" Bridget could no longer process any words when she felt a warmth around her.

Tooth was giving her a hug.

Bridget felt her insides expanding and shrinking all at the same time while her eyes widened. She remembered being hugged by North or Carol and the…incidents with Jack. But in the bedroom it was different because it wasn't an embrace from a concerned person or an accidental slip-up. This was a hug for the sake of hugging and nothing else. Slowly Bridget returned the embrace and closed her eyes as Tooth gave another affectionate squeeze. Bridget felt a presence on her head and quickly realized it was the Mini-fairies also hugging her in their own special way.

For the first time in two days Bridget fell asleep with the feeling of home wrapped around her.

* * *

North could barely keep himself awake while tinkering with a metal wind-up toy. He was in his old inventing room while everyone else was fast asleep. The toy was a little puppy dog that was suppose to prance around in a circle and then lie on its back as if waiting for its belly to be scratch. Instead, the toy rutted in an oval and became stiffened before falling on its side. So far North found a sprocket inside that was bent and believed it would solve the problem, instead the dog ended up doing a black-flip and fell down without getting up on its own.

"How old this is getting for me." North grumbled while rubbing his eyes.

"Personally I blame the 'nog." North turned to see Bunny leaning casually on the door's side. "All that drinking can be bad on the mind ya know."

North rolled his eyes while Bunny hopped in. "You are not sleeping."

"Oh I was. The first time in two days without your snoring keeping me up." Bunny pointed out. "But when I didn't hear it, so I knew something was up. I thought you were goin' to fix the sleigh without proper sleep but found ya here instead."

North sighed. "How can I vith Leetle Girl had such a rough day?" He gestured his thumb to the wall behind him. "She is obviously in pain and Ombric is right on her being held back. But vhat? I do not know this."

Bunny shrugged. "Neither do the rest of us. Jack's pretty worked up 'bout it. Probably feels obligated or something like that to help her out. Same with Sandy I think."

"An adolescent is much more complex than child. There must be something to make her happy." The former Cossack's expression turned from deep deliberation into that of joy. "Vait, vait, vait, vait, vait, vait. Idea! Ha!" North pointed his pointer finger inches from Bunny's face while jumping up. "Bunny I know now vhat vill make Leetle Girl happy!"

Bunny shushed him, not wanting to wake the others. "Oh really after years of MiM knows how much scarring you know what will make the big Ankle-Biter happy?" Bunny held a look of skepticism. North might be an ingenious Guardian but even from time to time his schemes would seem harebrained at best.

"Trust me vhen I say this will be great." North exclaimed while placing an arm on Bunny's shoulder. "And you're going to help."

"Me?" Bunny looked dumbfounded.

"Yes." North nodded. "Ve'll give her best gift in whole vide world. Better than steel cane in fact." He smiled knowingly before adding, "But first I need you to find your old tool box."

* * *

Bridget sighed softly while sleeping soundlessly. She hugged her pillow mumbling something incoherently about apples and geese. Her face scrunched when she felt a weird jab on her cheek. Bridget groaned but remained still while gripping the pillow tighter. Another nudge tapped her face. She waved her hand near it in annoyance. Seconds passed and Bridget felt nothing so she sighed and drifted back to sleep.

"Oh c'mon get up!" Bridget squealed in surprise and fell off the bed. She growled in frustration while rubbing her head in slight pain. She recognized the voice right away.

"Whad ya want Jack?" Jack held a secretive smirk while helping Bridget up. He swayed his back in forth, the heels of his shoe-less feet rolling in an easy tempo. "Just to get you up," he answered rather smartly. His grinned widen when Bridget rolled her eyes.

"Is that so?" Bridget's scowl slowly turned into a look of instantaneous curiosity. She leaned toward Jack with a small smile. Cold, violet blood rushed to his cheeks by the close contact, glad for the moment that Bridget could not see it. "Well in that case…" The redhead purred. She leaned to his ear and yelled with the top of her lungs, "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

Jack was spun around and shoved forcibly out of the room. "Ever heard of knocking Jack, really?" Bridget asked with her hand on the door and her other on her left hip. "Give me time to put some actual clothes on. Sheesh." The human shut the door with a loud thud leaving Jack and Baby Tooth outside.

"Couldda warned me that might happen." Jack grumbled to the Mini-fairy. Baby Tooth shrugged her shoulders in response, not very sure how humans would act and knowing nothing about teenage girls for that matter.

A few minutes passed and Bridget called out, "Okay I'm ready." She got out, wearing her usual coat and pants and re-tying her braid. The girl pushed her braid back before apologizing, "Sorry about exploding like that earlier." She smiled sheepishly, hoping they would forgive her.

Jack waved it off. "It's fine. I have a problem with not knowing the difference between being welcomed into someone's place to breaking and entering," he joked with a sheepish smile.

"Apparently," Bridget remarked. She clasped her long cane and asked, "So what's this great thing you had to get me up for?"

Jack smiled genuinely for once and replied, "You'll see." He offered his cane. "We gotta get to the inventing room. Everyone else is already there."

Bridget made a bewildered expression but decided to go along with it. She clinched the crook staff and off they walked.

* * *

Inside the inventing room, the four Guardians buzzed excitedly at what was to come as they waited for the two adolescents.

"Oh, isn't this exciting?" Tooth asked Sandy. He nodded eagerly, dreamsand cascading down from his pointy hair. North and Bunny held happy expressions despite looking awful tired. Their eyes had bags and the pooka detained back a yawn while waiting.

After what felt like an eternity the door to the room opened. Jack smiled broadly while leading Bridget inside. The Guardians were in high spirits as the girl walked in. Bunny and North quickly scrambled an object behind themselves until realizing how pointless the gesture was.

"Okay Jack brought me here in a cryptic way, no one has greeted me yet, and I think I'm in a dusty room but not a 100% sure yet." Bridget observed while resting her chin on her hand.

"Oh but for all good reason." North promised with a finger wag. He looked at Bunny who nodded with a grin and the Cossack turned back to the girl. "Bunny and I have vorked all night on special project."

North revealed a piece of cloth covering a long object. Once North removed the fabric and placed the object onto the redhead's opened hand Bridget knew right away what it was.

"Um, it's glasses." Bridget rubbed her thumb over the glass.

"My old pair actually." Bunny, said proudly. Jack could see why, the glasses were egg-oval shaped with a light green tint. The dark green temple arms, used to help the glasses to stay over the ears, were chiseled in a way the appeared like twin stems of flowers. They even had little flower designs in the metal. In spite of its old form the spectacles looked brand new.

"Bunny did not alvays have good eyesight vhen starting out as Guardian." North chuckled, earning a glare from the pooka. "He needed glasses to paint detail on eggs better."

Bridget smiled uneasily, not sure what to think of the gift. Sure she was flattered and all but… "This is really thoughtful of you guys to give me this except," she sighed and drooped her head. "I can't wear these. It wouldn't make sense for me to use them with me being blind."

Jack couldn't hold his laughter anymore. He clung to his gut while his other hand clutched to his staff. "You don't get it yet do you?" Bridget's naïvety was just too much for him.

"Get what?" Bridget incensed slightly.

"There's a reason behind the glasses, Bridget." Tooth stated. "North and Bunny made the glasses magic so they can-" She glanced at her fellow Guardians for an answer. The gave her encouraging smiles and turned her attention back to Bridget-"they can let you see!" Tooth couldn't hold her excited as she squealed on the last word.

Bridget's guarded face quickly melted into a one with her eyes widening and jaw dropping. "Did Tooth just say..? Y-you mean 'see' as in actually seeing?" she muttered breathlessly. "I'll be able to see?"

Reality took root into Bridget mind when she articulated, "But that's impossible." Her happy thoughts going away in the blink of an eye.

"Impossible things happen all the time." North countered cheerfully. "They happen everyday in fact."

"You stole that from _Rodger and Hammerstein_." Bridget replied, too mixed up to say it in a know-it-all voice.

"But it's true," North countered once again. He inched toward the girl and curled her hands around the specs. "At least give us doubt for benefit and try them on." He said reassuringly.

Bridget still held a look of skepticism while holding the object before her. She bit her inner cheek before pursing her lips. This couldn't really be happening right? She dreamed something like this for years and the very idea that all of it could come true at that very moment seemed so unreal. Another thought came to her mind as she reflected over these musings. Why were the Guardians so interested in giving this wonderful gift to her? Besides reading about the Morrígan and that's all she really did for them. Oh yeah and bitching at Mother Nature, but that was more of a downside than an added bonus. So yeah Bridget was back to square one.

"But I don't understand? Why? Why are you doing this for me?" Bridget furrowed her eyebrows.

"Leetle Girl vas so sad other day and many days before," North said, his eyes full of worry. "Ve felt this could make life better for you." That and he never actually gave the poor girl a gift. She was on the Nice List, no doubt about that, but he remembered how Bridget was always traveling and never at one home long enough to be given a Christmas present. And for teeth, Tooth admitted that she held none of Bridget's teeth for some reason, and they all assumed it was from the moving too. The same went with Easter, Bunny could never find the kid because of her moving across the country. So he was just as guilty.

"But I don't deserve this," Bridget said in despair. "I've done nothing for you that's worth a gift like this one."

North chucked. "Of course you have. And vhy must you value your life so lowly." He brought his red sleeve to Bridget's hand and asked, "This single thread on shirt doesn't see its purpose in the pattern and how important it is. Nor does a rock on mighty mountain. So vhy judge yourself so lowly and vhere value lies before seeing it through different point of view?"

"A different point of view?" Bridget tilted her head in confusion.

"Sure," Jack came in. "You've been with us since this whole trip started and didn't give up." He winced when a memory from the workshop came into mind. "Okay maybe once but after that you stayed focus on helping us out."

"Not to mention keeping us from going at each others heads," Bunny acknowledged with a knowing laugh.

"And standing up to Mother Nature vas fearless." North encouraged. "Something ve vould not do on our own."

Tooth agreed and added the Bridget was a good person who deserved to because she cared about kids too. Sandy made a thumbs up with both hands, hoping his message was getting across as well.

"For almost ten years I couldn't see like the other kids," Bridget mumbled with balled fists and her bangs covering her eyes, "So many times hearing them taking for granted on a wonderful ability and me just only fantasizing what it might be like…"

Jack felt pained by her look. "You don't have to put them on unless-" "NO!" Bridget raised her voice. Everyone looked at her with surprise. "I want to give it a try. No hurt in trying right?"

North smiled broadly. "That's true." He was happy how brave she was being. Of course nothing bad was going to happen to Bridget, but she didn't know that."But how do these work? I thought you need **some **ability to see in order to use them."

"That's what we enhanced," Bunny stepped in. "Instead of you needin' your eyes to see through the glass, the spects' do that for ya."

The redhead furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What do mean?"

"Ve mean the glasses are remade so that they take in image and put into mind instead of eyes." North explained eagerly. "So everything you'll see vill be from glasses."

"So I guess scratching or breaking them would be a bad idea."

"Nothing to worry about," Bunny reassured. "The glass never gets busted. With our combined magic, it won't"

"Put them on. Give us a try," North said with wide eyes.

Bridget took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. Slowly she brought the glasses on her face and felt the pads on the bridge of her nose. It felt a little odd having a slight weight on her face but it grew away. She blinked her eyes a few times, still seeing her usual darkness. She waited.

And waited.

And waited.

For another moment, nothing happened at all.

But then small light spots began appearing and disappearing on two planes of Bridget's line of sight. The lights would be replaced with larger ones and touch each other and grew across. The light kept growing until it spread into two ovals. Color began to form in a blur but then deiced to take shape as the haziness started to fade. Bridget could almost take in a rectangle in front of her (she could see shapes!) and touched the bleached sheet covering it. With some effortless tugging, Bridget pulled the sheet down and could see a vague figure staring right at her. The image became clearer and Bridget nearly in gasped in shock.

"That's-that's me," Bridget whispered as her hand touched the mirror's reflective panel. Her eyes were a gray that held an unusual gleam to them. "My eyes really **are** gray." She continued looking at her reflection with much interest. "The doctors were right about the scars under my eyes." Bridget touched them slightly and flinched at how pale and thinly they were in comparison to the rest of her skin. "And man, I am so pale, I should get out more." She took notice of her bright red hair and shook her head. "Never mind I'm obviously a ginger, I'll get cancer by just looking at a picture of the sun." She noticed her reflection and corrected herself. "Actually that might a bit rude. And an offensive stereotype. For all I know the last people I knew in my old school might've been gingers with tans, who knows."

A noise was heard and Bridget nearly squeaked when saw another person in the mirror. It was a short little man with golden hair short and styled into five points that glittered like gold. His eyes were a golden brown that held a special glow to them. In fact his whole body glowed an extraordinary gold, wearing nothing but a one-piece suit the covered most of his body. His total appearance reminded Bridget of- "Sand…" Her eyes widened in realized awe. "You're Sandy-the Sandman."

Sandy smiled and gave her a wave, causing some of his namesake to cascade onto the ground. Bridget fell to her knees in complete wonderment while staring at the Guardian of Dreams. "You just waved at me." Her small smile grew. "And I saw it!" She clasped her hands in excitement before another thought came into mind. "Can you really make sand images like Jamie said you can, please?"

Sandy couldn't say no to that face and wouldn't be able to anyway. In a matter of seconds streams of dreamsand appeared from Sandy's hands. Bridget almost squealed in delight after running her fingers through the sand, laughing as a dream of a dove materialized, and flew circles above her head. The little bird fluttered right near her face as sand nearly touched her face.

"Vatch that now," Bridget felt two arms grab her shoulders and brought her up. A warm chuckle was heard, "Can't have Leetle Girl falling asleep."

Bridget turned around with her jaw almost hitting the ground. North was an enormous! Wearing a long red coat with black fur trim, and a red plaid shirt he also sported large, brown boots that were definitely bigger than hers. He also had the words 'naughty' and 'nice' tattooed on each forearm respectively that were no long holding onto Bridget's shoulders and now rested on his hips.

Bridget was taken back much more astounded than the last. "It's-it's really." Bridget nearly cried while muffling her face with her hands. "You're Santa. I mean you're North obviously but…you're Santa Claus too." She sniffled slightly with her eyes slightly watering.

North smiled, his white bread rising up slightly. He knelt one knew to the ground so he was with eye level with her and chuckled. "Do I look like Santa you'd pictured?"

Bridget nodded breathlessly. "You're Santa. You've got the red suit; the white beard and the big belly…you **do **have blue eyes. I knew it!" Bridget clasped her hand and pulled it down in victory.

When she opened her eyes a little hummingbird-like creature came into Bridget's view and saw the little thing flutter around her. The little being had a purple eye and other blue. Tiny green feathers covered her body with the exception of a little gold feather sticking from her forehead. She was soon joined by her three sisters that were practically identical apart from them all having purple eyes and blue feathers sticking instead of gold ones.

"You have got to be the Mini-fairies." Bridget declared. The little fairies nodded eagerly and flew closer to her face. The redhead held a very bemused face and gushed how cute they looked. "They get some of that from me." Tooth said with a hidden smile.

Bridget turned to her right and saw one of the most undeliverable sites she ever saw. Tooth looked part human part hummingbird hybrid. While colorful greenish and bluish feathers covered her entire body her face and hands were tanned. Her eyes looked like a mix between pink and purple and held so much happiness and joy. Instead of hair that covered her head, Tooth had feathers that made a curved upward style almost like a crown. Around her wrists and ankles there seem to be golden lines that appeared to look like golden bracelets and golden anklets, as well as gold feathers on either side of her head for earrings. Tooth also had long, drapery feathers that start at her waistline and end at her knees. Along with the crown like feathers, the long feathers made Tooth look more and more like royalty by the second.

"Tooth," was all Bridget could say. Her eyes were size of saucers by that point.

The female Guardian's smile faltered slightly worried that the girl was too freak by her appearance. "I understand completely if I don't look like what you'd expect." Tooth began uncertainly.

"Uh, Tooth."

"I mean I know I look nothing like Tinkerbelles, or whatever her name is, but I promise you that I'm not as unusual as I look…besides my obsession with teeth and that I probed your mouth when we first met."

"Tooth." Bridget tried again to get the fairy's attention but she was much too wrapped up in what she was saying to notice.

"But I also did that with Jack and to all the other Guardians when we started out," Tooth's feathers ruffling with emotion, still unaware of Bridget trying to call out to her. Bridget crossed her arms and smiled in amusement. North and Sandy doing the same while the human gave them a look asking like if this was normal. North shrugged his shoulders and held back a chuckled while Sandy simply grinned. Bunny and Jack stood out of the way until their turns came and shook their heads at Tooth's erratic, but typical, behavior.

"TOOTH!" Bridget called loud enough so Tooth could hear her finally. The fairy ceased her pacing and flushed slightly in embarrassment after seeing everyone staring at her.

"Sorry," Tooth apologized while fluttering near Bridget. "I just get emotional from time to time."

"So I see," Bridget grinned widely at the last line the most and giggled. "I don't think you're strange-looking." Bridget moved her arm to brush the thought away. "You look more like a princess than anything else."

Tooth's view completely changed as she blushed at the compliment. "Oh thank you," Tooth placed hand on Bridget's shoulder and smiled, showing her gratitude.

"You've got some nice pearly whites too, you know," Bridget added while smiling. The Fairy Queen and her miniature subjects took a shine to that and fluttered excitedly, earning a giggle from Bridget.

At mid-giggle Bridget felt something poking on her foot. Looking down, Bridget saw a peculiar thing indeed. A tiny egg with little feet and painted silver and red tried climbing on Bridget's shoe. She picked up and was amazed by its little legs.

"Egg legs," Bridget murmured while engrossed by the detail on the egg. The colors matched her eyes and hair perfectly.

"A really beaut' ain't it?" Bridget quickly turned around fast to see Bunny's face. Even if he was the first rabbit Bridget ever saw she knew right away he looked nothing like the regular ones in grassy fields. As a pooka, Bunny stood between six to seven feet tall, with grayish-blue fur. He had flower-like imprints on both his forehead and shoulders, and bright green eyes. He wore leather bracers set with orange stones, a single-strap holster with which he carried humongous boomerangs, and leather wrappings on his feet.

"Whoa," Bridget gasped in total awe. "Jamie was right about you being tall." Her eyes shifted to Bunny's holster and back to his face. "Why are your boomerangs so huge and cool looking…those are boomerangs right?"

Bunny smirked, puffing his chest with pride. "They sure are. Made by yours truly. And the rest is pretty great too." Jack rolled his eyes at the Guardian's overconfidence. "Six foot one, nerves of steel, master of Tai Chi, and the ancient art of-" Bridget couldn't help herself, and hugged the pooka.

"Crikey!" Bunny's eyes expanded in alarm. He was unable to move from the pure shock until he recouped and gradually wrapped his arms around her too. The hug was brief as was the silence between the two as Bridget laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, it's just like before, when I said I like soft things. So seeing a giant bunny is way too tempting you know?"

"That's alright ya Big Ankle-biter. Give me warning next time though." Bunny told the little redhead with a genuine smile while ruffling her hair. Seeing the girl's happiness was worth the insomnia he was going to have in the future.

"And your eyes are really green too," Bridget stared at them strangely, earning an odd look from Bunny. Bridget got out of her trance and blinked a couple of times. "Sorry, I got lost for a second." She stepped back a little and turned looking at each of the Guardians she had finally got to see. Bridget was tearing up as she looked at the four Guardians. These were the people she had believed since she was a child and they were really there, in the same room with her. "This is just so-" Bridget took a deep breath to keep herself from fainting. "I have always imagined, but-but I never-You guys look much more amazing than I thought."

The four Guardians exchanged looks of bliss while seeing Bridget look so happy. She clasped her egg while grinning. This was what they were meant to do when bring joy to children, teenagers included.

"What about me? Don't I look great?" Bridget rolled her playfully at Jack's impatience and cocky attitude. "Oh yeah Jack you're really-" Bridget turned her head and was immediately silenced. Every witty comment she had in her mental arsenal quickly dissolved the moment Bridget saw Jack Frost. And I mean **really **see Jack Frost.

The boy in front of her held a Sheppard's crook staff in one hand while his other one was in his hoodie pocket. He had no shoes on but didn't seem bothered by the stone cold floor. His pants were tattered brown, roped by a lighter brown string material. The hoodie was blue with frost covering around the ring of the collar. His skin was paler than Bridget's but not pale enough to look sickly. His face was soft with very striking features, bright blue eyes, dark eyebrows that were contrast to his snowy white hair.

"Well~" Jack grinned, showing his perfect white teeth. "Am I okay looking?" He leaned on his staff with keen interest. His eyes held a mischievous impression as he bore them at Bridget. The Mini-fairies squealed in delight and one even fainted on the floor. But Bridget didn't take notice as her mind was still in mental shock. How could someone like him exist? It was naturally impossible for someone to look so-

"_Bad thoughts, bad thoughts," _Bridget insisted. _"Just say something, anything to him. Don't make this such a big deal." _But her brain wasn't working on that. It was mostly still in eternal shock over how attractive Jack was. When her eyes were the size of saucers before, they were now the size of jet hubcaps. Also when her jaw dropped to the floor earlier this time the jaw fell into the floor, cracked through the foundation of the tree, and plummeted into the Earth's core, only for it to return back to he mouth. That would explain why her mouth felt so dry and her got really warm. It was the core's fault not hers!

_"C'mon girl, just answer the question. Tell Jack he's just as magical as the others, only ten times more sexy-DAMMIT! Stop thinking! Just calm down everything is going to be-" _

"Uh Bridget," Jack looked at her with concern. For the past two minutes Bridget had a very stunned look on her face. It was much different from the ones she had earlier. She also seemed completely unaware of the events around her. Bridget didn't even notice that she dropped her egg, the hard shell shattering on the floor, much to Bunny's horror. Jack didn't pay attention to Bunny's breakdown while staring at Bridget. Why was she behaving like this? She cried after seeing North for MiM's sake. But at that moment with the winter spirit Bridget said nothing. "Are o-" "FINE!" Bridget shouted unexpectedly.

Bunny ceased his sobbing, Tooth stopped comforting him, Sandy and North ended being bystanders as they all stared at the mortal. She felt very uncomfortable at them all giving at her but Bridget quickly said, "I mean you look fine," Bridget motioned to a bewildered Jack. "Fine, yep. That's all. Ha-ha. **Fine**, absolutely **fine**." She eyed the floor and saw the scrambled egg. "Oops, I should-uh clean that up." Bridget laughed uncomfortably while pulling her left arm. She stared at everything that wasn't Jack until she shot out of the room like a bat out of hell. Or at least she was until she accidently rammed her body on the doorway.

"Ha, the door and my head." Bridget laughed. "Don't worry the glasses aren't broken. I'll go and get a mop and bucket, **now**." She smiled painfully and placed her hands behind her back. Without another word Bridget ran out, hoping no one saw her blushing face.

Jack blinked twice while staring at the door. "Fine?"

* * *

**Q-A:** Over 22 pages with so much stuff going on. I mean WHOA! I cannot believe I wrote half of the stuff in that. And next chapter will have even more stuff going on. In fact with all of you guys being so nice I'm putting up some line previews of dialogue that'll be used in the next chapter.

* * *

Preview:

"_Fine? Fine? What's wrong with me?"_

"_I swear I just met the guy."  
_

"_What's with the dagger?"_

"_So we're playing Pictionary now?"_

_"Man I wish we had THAT when we first fought Pitch."_

* * *

**Q-A: **So yeah that's how it's gonna roll.

молодой мальчик-Young boy

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	11. Blame it on the Hormones

**Q-A: **Here we are with chapter 11. : D All of your wonderful reviews made me very pleased. Especially to **TenebrisSagittarius**,for being so supportive along with all of you new reviewers. ^-^You know who you are. XD So let's get this show on the road, right?

Also for future reference, I have now made it my head-cannon that Bunny obsesses over his eggs if they get broken or otherwise. XD

Disclaimer: I only own Bridget and this story. Everything else is NOT mine.

* * *

_~Blame it on the Hormones~_

The village of Santoff Claussen was calm as the sun creaked through the clouds. Its streaks raining onto the ground like beams of the Sandman's dreamsand. Winter birds chirped while they pecked at the ground for seeds nice old ladies left out for them. It was so still and serene that nothing could possibly-BAM!

The doors to Big Root swung open so loudly in fact the birds flew away in alarm. But none of them were as distressed as the redheaded girl who ran down the steps breathlessly. Bridget panted while her hands rested on her knees as she stared painfully at the snowy ground. Her face was still red from her previous encounter with a frost spirit.

"_Oh God, oh God, oh God!" _Bridget couldn't believe she acted the way she did. How could she have behaved so ridiculously? She said nothing smart and acted like a complete child.

"_What was wrong with me?" _Bridget asked herself in thought. _"I reacted like a fangirl at a _One Direction_ concert. What made me do that?"_

Bridget sighed in desperation. She removed her hands from her knees and got bored with glowering at the ground. When she moved her head up Bridget could finally see the moon for the first time. It was see-through, probably because the glowing orb was on the other side of the earth.

"Well moon I hope you're happier this time around!" Bridget yelled at the fading sphere while sitting in the snow, her hands resting under her chin. "You just had to pick a guy like Jack to be **the **Jack Frost huh? I'm sure he's pretty qualified for the job, I can already tell with all of this snow"- She motioned to all of the white fluff surrounding her-"but why did ya have to go and make him so-pardon the pun-so hot looking? I mean seriously, no guy can actually be that hot! So hot that he even has Mini-fairy fangirls too!"

With the doors to the tree still wide open Bridget didn't notice Tooth and her fairies fly through. Tooth held a very concerned look while seeing Bridget's depressed form.

"And let's not forget my little performance back in the room." Bridget sighed. "That was just painful, not to mention humiliating. He could be laughing at how childish I was being right now."

Bridget made a face before saying, "Tooth I can hear yours and your fairies wings from down here."

The Guardian of Memories and her helpers visibly winced but advanced to the girl anyway. "How did you find me?" Bridget asked with her head turned to the fairy Queen.

"You went the wrong way to look for the utility closet and it was pretty easy to notice the front door wide open like this." Tooth pointed back toward the opening.

Bridget heaved a sigh and covered her face in discomfiture.

"He wasn't laughing at you, Jack I mean." Tooth said earnestly, hoping to ease the teenager's suffering.

"Well I was still acting stupid back there in the inventing room." Bridget retorted. "I called the rest of you awesome and amazing and what do I say to Jack? Fine? Fine? What's wrong with me? I should've said something more like 'Wow Jack, you do look pretty gosh darn magical' or 'Say I think ya look real 'ice.'" Bridget frowned at the pun and groaned once more while putting her hood up.

Tooth exchanged some looks with her fairies and spoke with them telepathically. _"The poor little Wisdom Tooth. There has to be something I could do for her."_

"_Try talking to her again." _Baby Tooth suggested. She floated onto her 'mother's' shoulder. _"It worked pretty well the last time didn't it?"_

"_Yes," _Tooth agreed halfheartedly while crossing her arms. _"But that was a completely different matter altogether."_

"_Wisdom Tooth still needs someone to talk with right __**now**__." _Baby Tooth insisted. _"She might try and build a wall around herself like Jack use to do. And we don't want that again." _ The rest of the Mini-fairies chirped in agreement.

Tooth sighed, knowing she couldn't argue with her closest lieutenants. Tooth glided to where Bridget sat and saw the girl barely moved or even noticed the fairy's presence. Feeling that the redhead wasn't going to protest, Tooth parked herself on the stoop behind Bridget's, inwardly flinching from the cold.

"You know," Tooth began carefully. "We all make mistakes from time to time. And what you did wasn't bad. In fact, it's nothing like your confrontation with Mother Nature."

"Yeah it's much **worse**," Bridget spoke slightly muffled through her hood. "I always use to laugh at the girls in school for them getting way too overdramatic over stuff like boys." Eventually she removed her hood and started to pull at her red hair. She adjusted her uneven glasses. "But now I'm starting to get a good idea for all of that fussing."

Bridget mentally cursed when she realized, "So I'm pretty much a hypocrite. I guess that's something else to put on the growing list of Traits-That-I-Am-Only-Learning-Of-Right-Now. Let's also not forget that I completely panic, I had no idea what to say toward Jack and I acted like a total spaz in front of him." She glared at the ground, thinking it was mocking her with its colorless form matching Jack's hair. "I feel like burying my face in the snow and never coming out."

"_And not because it reminds me of Jack. Nope, not at all," _Bridget tried to affirm to herself.

Tooth held a calculating look for a few seconds until a growing smile appeared on her face. "Well from what I was able to put together is that maybe the reason you're reacting this way is that…you might, probably, li-"

"Oh no," Bridget raised her voice and stood up, towering Tooth by a foot. "Don't even finish that."

Bridget had a very serious look on and said firmly, "I am not interested in Jack like that."

"So you are interested in him, but just not like 'that.'" Tooth air-quoted rather smugly, and her fairies making chirping noises that sounded very similar to giggling.

Bridget gave them all an annoyed look and sighed. Yep, this was exactly why she barely hung out with people her age, or physically around her age, knowing Tooth.

"You know what I mean. Who said anything about well, you know…" Bridget played with her bracelet as her face became rosier. "And I'm not saying I do because I don't, at all with…you-know-who."

"There's nothing wrong with liking someone," Tooth tried to ease. "It's completely natural."

"I don't …l-word Jack."

"L-word?" Tooth arched an eyebrow. "…Oh you mean li-"

"Oh~! You know what I mean," Bridget repeated, having no other comebacks to say. "I only see 'im as a…um." _"Oh boy, I never really thought what to call Jack. Would friend be okay? I mean we get along fine and helped each other out from time to time."_

Bridget's mouth became a thin line before finishing, "Jack is just a friend and nothing else. Okay?"

Tooth still looked unconvinced. "If you say so. But I still think there might possibly be a draw between you two."

"No there isn't," Bridget insisted stubbornly while unintentionally remembering the _Closet Incident_ again. "What's happening is a weird mood-swing I am getting for no reason. It'll pass." She hoped so, because the Mini-fairies in her stomach were getting worse.

"I'm not so sure about that," Tooth replied, hiding a knowing smile. "Jack is technically the first boy you've seen, so you acting the way you did was normal."

"Wait," Bridget's eyes widen as she came up with a realization. "You said the way I acted earlier was natural right?"

Tooth blinked a few times but nodded, not sure where the girl was going with it.

"And Jack was the first guy I've seen right?"

"I guess…"

"So what I am feeling is just…hormones!" Bridget beamed at her conclusion.

"Hormones?" This wasn't going toward the direction Tooth was expecting.

"Yeah it's science. Or whatever." The human mortal motioned down with her hands. "Basically Jack is the first guy I've meet and is…nice looking to the human eye." She pointed toward her glass-covered eyes for emphasis. "So the hormones inside me reacted toward Jack and I was simply under the delusion of showing an interest to him." Bridget giggled awkwardly, trying to sound like her reasoning made perfect sense.

It did not.

"You're serious?" Tooth asked blankly, finding the explanation utterly nonsensical.

"Yep," Bridget popped the 'p' with enthusiasm. "Just blame it on the hormones." She brushed her hands to each other as if she was wrapping up the situation. "Now with that's all over I can work even harder on helping you Guardians saving the kids right?"

Tooth and her fairies nodded halfheartedly. They flew ahead of Bridget as they headed back inside. At least that was the original plan until Tooth noticed the condition inside Big Root. "Um, I think you should stay outside a little longer."

Bridget squinted her eyes in confusion. "What? Why?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Tooth vowed while waving her hands the younger girl. She quickly looked at her surroundings and smiled. "You should stay out here for a little while longer."

"Why?" Bridget didn't even try to hide her awareness of Tooth's nervous state.

"Because-because…the snow out here is **so **beautiful! It would be such a waste to not admire it." Tooth grinned, hoping the girl would buy it. She widened her arms in emphasis.

Bridget fought the urge to laugh while she did take a look around. The village did have a very lovely radiance with all of the snow around. No snow was falling at the moment but it only made everything look more relaxed and quaint. A word Bridget would never thought of using but that's how nice everything looked.

"Well~" Bridget dragged the world a little while admiring the snow. "I guess I could stay out here a little longer." She smirked slightly after seeing Tooth's relieved face.

"The snow does make everything look pretty and I haven't **really **looked at the village." Bridget through some in the air and laughed at the fact that a snowflake actually landed on her nose. "Later on, remind me to compliment Jack on how nice this all is."

Her eyes widened before adding with a stutter, "F-for the snow I mean. Not that he isn't nice you know," Bridget flushed. "I think we've already established that. The snow is too." She was touching her bracelet once again.

"Okay that's great then." Tooth said, choosing to ignore Bridget's manner. "I need to head back," Tooth slowly took wing into the tree. "It being cold for me and all. And you're okay because of the warmer clothes you have on." She turned to Baby Tooth and told her to stay out here to keep an eye on Bridget so she wouldn't…wander off.

"And nothing is wrong?" Bridget's smirk turned into a lopsided grin.

"Of course not!" Tooth lied, pretending everything was normal. She glanced back slightly and her eyes widen momentarily. "I'll just leave you to your thoughts. BYE!"

With that, the door to Big Root was shut and the human and little tooth fairy was left alone.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Baby Tooth, but your mom is acting a little weird." Bridget said while making a 'just a smidge' symbol with her thumb and index finger. Baby Tooth simply shrugged, knowing what was really happening and didn't want to go into full detail about it.

* * *

Tooth hurried inside and was immediately felt a cold wind around her. The Mini-fairies quickly flutter closer, in order to be near her warmth. There wasn't any ice or snow on the ground but Tooth could feel the cold coming from a certain room after seeing ice forming on the inside of the room's window! She knew right away something was wrong and sensed it would be for the best if Bridget stayed outside where it would be safer.

As it turned out Tooth's hunch was correct as she soon noticed the door to the inventing room had a thin layer of frost on it. The Mini-fairies chirped nervously for a moment until Tooth hushed them soothingly. "It's okay. Jack is just is having a nervous breakdown."

With a grunt, Tooth opened the immovable door and saw the beginnings of a small blizzard.

* * *

Bunnymund felt his tail freezing when he saw the door open finally. Freedom! He saw Tooth and her fairies fly in and seeing them visibly wince from the colder temperature.

"Sh-should've s-stayed ou-outside if I were you," Bunny said with a stutter while crossing his arms for body heat.

"I thought you would need my help." Tooth replied with a concern face. Her breath could be seen with each word she spoke.

"Still a b-bad-d idea," Bunny motioned to the center of the room, where the person responsible for turning it into an icebox stood.

"Fine? Fine? She called all of you guys amazing and gave me a look and said I looked fine?" Jack was in absolute apprehension this whole situation. He was so focused over what Bridget said that he didn't realize the apparent weather changes going on in the room.

Snow flurries started to fall along with the temperature. The glass windows were covered with frost but looked nothing like the beautiful panels Jack normally made. "She even hugged Bunny for crying out loud!"

"I mean, I'm first Guardian she's met and helped her out on the occasion and she called me fine." Jack shook his head in disbelief. He turned to a shivering North and Sandy and exclaimed, "Fine what? Fine as okay looking or good? Bridget didn't exactly give me enough leverage and she just ran out of here so quick. Do I really look that weird with the pale skin and hair I probably look like some weird homeless kid!"

"….Not that there is anything wrong with them," Jack quickly added, "just…why are you all covered in snow?" Jack finally noticed his work.

Bunny became frustrated and growled, "Because you made it so, ya Gumby!"

"Oh," Jack recoiled in awkwardness. Just as soon as he uttered the sound, the ice and snow started to fade and the room began to radiate with its normal temperate again.

"So much energy over one leetle girl," North observed with a glint in his blue eyes.

Bunny was warming his feet near an old heater until he moved away and stood near North. "Yeah, if I didn't know any better it would seem that you and the Big Ankle-biter were already playin' handsies." Bunnymund added while smirking.

Jack got out of his embarrassment and quickly went on the defensive. "What are you trying to say?"

"Oh not tryin' to imply anything, mate, just thinkin' about your actions towards a certain Shelia and all." Bunny's grin was even larger now with North and Sandy smiling along with him. "And maybe the reason she left wasn't that ya looked strange to her. It might've been somethin' else altogether."

It took Jack a whole 2.7 seconds to figure out what Bunny was saying.

"Oh no," Jack shook his head. "There is no way you guys actually think-Quit smirking Sandy it's not funny!"

Sandy did not stop and even made a few images of Jack, Bridget, and a large heart with an arrow in it over his head.

"Of course it's not funny," North began to say seriously while placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack smiled, respecting the older man. At least he was until North grinned like a fool and shouted, "It's sweet and adorable!"

"Really, North, really?" Jack's eyes widen in terror. "I thought you'd be reasonable about this."

"I am being reasonable. And knowing unspoken attraction between you and Leetle Girl makes it much more so."

"An unspok-No! That's not what's happening." Jack refused. "I was not reacting because I was jealous. Just confused." The grip he had on his staff made his knuckles look whiter than usual as he also tried to hide his growing blush.

"Denial's not a river in Egypt, Jack." Tooth spoke knowingly.

Jack groaned in frustration. "I'm not denying anything."

"First sign of grief is also the first sign of love apparently." Bunny ignored Jack's previous comment while purposely half-whispering to Sandy.

The reaction on Jack's face was priceless. He was no longer crouching and shot up in the air by mistake. He sputtered nonsensical words while his face grew a deep violet.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Jack spoke in an unusually high voice until he corrected himself. "Love? No, I don't 'like-like' her, let alone lov-Bridget is a-girl-that-happens-to-believe-in-me-and-is-friends-with-my-best-friend." Jack tried to explain with the best of his abilities. Unfortunately no one seemed to agree with him.

"Aw, but Jack you and Leetle Girl act together so fine. Very good as couple I think." North insisted. "You both are around same age."

"I'm 317 and she's like 17." Jack replied.

"But you know her more than we do." Tooth supplemented.

"And who knows vhat happened vhile you escorted Bridget to the Pole." North wiggled his eyebrows. The Guardians who weren't aware of that little detail before cooed at how delightful that was, while Bunny admitted to thinking Frost was being clever for once.

"Nothing happened," Jack denied sternly. "She was passed out half-way through Canada, remember?"

"What if I were to tell you she might, probably, maybe, kinda like you too?" Tooth giggled like a schoolgirl while seeing Jack's reaction. "And she did leave the room because of it."

"She might…" Jack's eyes widen at the news and a small smile started to form. _"She might actually feel the sam-NO bad thoughts, bad thoughts."_

Reality took root again and Jack shook his head. "You guys are being ridiculous." He walked around while explaining, "Bridget and me are friends, nothing else. And even if there was something…between us, there isn't. If you haven't figured it out yet but the two of us are too different." He began to list

"She's serious, -" But she can have fun, like when Bridget played a snowball fight with him earlier- "Can be impatient-" She showed patience while facing those bullies at the park in Burgess- "And stubborn-"A trait Jack thought was sort of cute- "And I'm immortal. -" A valid argument there. "If there was something going on between us. Which I'm saying there is not because there isn't, it couldn't work."

"Bridget will grow up and I'll stay the same." His eyes soften at the thought. Jack sighed. "I know that and she knows that." He chuckled ruefully. "Once this is all over we'll all go back to the way things were. Only that Bridget knows about us and that's it. She probably doesn't 'like-like' me anyways...not that I care about that of course." Jack added as his blush disappeared gradually. "You're just trying to joke around right Tooth?"

Before Tooth could correct him, a large noise came from outside and the whole place trembled. Objects on the tables fell, the floor vibrated, and a groaning noise could be heard through the tree. Everyone nearly fell to the ground and cried out in pain.

"Nicholas, what has happened?" Ombric called out. He was walking down the halls before the light appeared and the earthquake occurred. He half-dragged himself to the inventing room door in order to be close to the others.

"Ve do not know," North answered, his entire body lying on the floor. "The quake is unexpected for us."

Once last shudder happened and the ground ceased moving. A few seconds passed and the Guardians slowly got up.

"Ugh, what was that?" Jack groaned as he got up. He and North helped Ombric up, while Bunny assisted Tooth and Sandy helped the remaining Mini-fairies as well.

"Something real fierce is happening outside," Bunny stood near the window as the others soon joined him. A bright light was seen outside as it slowly began to fade and a crater could be seen.

"Oh no," Tooth gulped. "Bridget and Baby Tooth are still out there."

"What?!" Jack's eyes grew with panic. "You just left them-Forget it! We gotta go and find them!" He quickly charged out of the room with the others closely fallowing him. With the exception of Ombric, who walked slowly, due to his weakened state.

The Guardians and Ombric eventually got out of Big Root as they emerged.

"Baby Tooth!" Tooth sighed in relief when she saw the Mini-fairy zoom to her and gave the little one a gentle squeeze in the palm of her hand. "Thank goodness you're okay."

A recently recovered Trevvor came bounding as several shaken and confused civilians stared at the hole in shock.

"What in MiM's name happened here Trevvor?" Ombric asked his former pupil.

The dark-hair man appeared unsure and shocked his head. "None of us know. Many of us were still slumbering until the crash woke us up."

"Where's Bridget?" Jack asked anxiously, scanning all over to find any trace of red wine hair.

"I don't think so," Trevvor answered. "No one else was here when the other magicians and I went to survey the-" "Hey dude whacha think you're doing huh!"

The exclamation came from where the crater was and from the voice the Guardians knew well enough who it was. Jack was already the first at the scene and what he saw was worse than all of the scenarios he imagined beforehand.

_Bridget getting attacked by a crow?_

NO.

_Bridget and Baby Tooth becoming hostages by said crow from earlier?_

NO.

_The Morrígan finally making an appearance and was hurting both Bridget, Baby Tooth, and all of the 40 kidnapped children?_

no...

None of them were as horrible to the same extent at what was really happening right before Jack.

Bridget was in an embrace with Poser-Staff-Boy from Manny's vision back at the North Pole. Bridget was in an embrace with Poser-Staff-Boy. Bridget was in an embrace with-Bridget was in an embrace-It didn't matter anymore as nearly all Hell broke lose right after that moment.

"Jack! I just found Baby Tooth and she told me Bridget fell down into the crater and-oh…"

* * *

_~Sometime earlier~_

"And for another thing, Jack and I could never work out because there's a slight chance he might like oranges and I don't like them at all." Bridget spoke to Baby Tooth while still sitting in the exact same spot where Tooth left them five minutes ago.

"I **love **apples but can't stand oranges." Bridget visibly cringed with distaste. "They just taste so weird. But I'm fine with other grapefruits for some reason." She shrugged and decided not to dwell on that anymore.

"And reason #47:In if some disturbing twist we do become a couple and it doesn't work out, the awkward levels would be astounding between us and seeing how Jack and Jamie are practically brothers won't help much either."

Bridget paused slightly as she stared at nothing and exhaled noisily. "And reason #48, which quite frankly could've started in the mid-10s but I was too focused on all the other stuff to notice."

Baby Tooth was sitting on Bridget's right knee while the whole rant started out. At first she was impressed on how many reasons one person could make in a two-minute period, until she realized that Bridget wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. She became bored out of her mind by the mid-thirties and was not expecting much for the forty-eighth incentive.

"I wouldn't be pretty enough for him."

That caught Baby Tooth's attention as she looked carefully at the unhappy girl.

"I mean I might be manageable after getting rid of some of these split-ends on in my hair but everything else is kinda weak." Bridget blew a strand of hair while frowning. "Just look at how pale my skin is. Sure I'm not as white as Jack's but his excuse is he's a winter and immortal and hot." She poked at her flat stomach while adding. "And look at this tiny gut, I've got nothing and a look like a tooth-pick with red hair and odd clothes. Jack's pretty skinny too but he's a shish kabob stick compared to my body. And my eyes look so weird. I'm not sure if they're steely or some other gray color."

"And I can't help but think Jack might…l-word somebody else." Bridget confessed. "I remember he said a girl's name before we fell from the sleigh. But I can't remember the name. It must've been someone important too. The girl must have meant a lot to Jack, whoever she is. And after seeing Tooth, I wouldn't be surprised if he liked a girl like her. I could never hold a candle to a someone like whoever that is."

Baby Tooth wanted to protest until Bridget gave the fairy a look. "Oh, come on, you don't want to say anything bad about your mom-I'm calling her your mom since Tooth acts like one to you and the other fairies-if you don't mind me saying that."

Baby Tooth shrugged, forgetting the situation momentarily.

"Tooth is just beautiful and I'm so plain looking. With all those feathers and the fact she smiles a lot and gets people happy makes her so amazing and I'm not." Bridget moved her left foot slightly while looking at the ground and the lines her shoe made. "She's a queen while I'm a lowly peasant. It's always the same situation; the guy at first likes you and then once he finds out what makes you weird and then he leaves you for the better girl."

Baby Tooth gave the human a look of sympathy until she noticed a glint in the sky. At first it looked like a black star, but the speck grew in size as it started to get closer toward the village. She tried to warn Bridget but she was much too keen on her address.

"I'm even sounding really shallow about the whole, look thing. Obviously another reason I'd be a lousy girlfriend because I'm now starting know what people look like and becoming self-conscious. Sure I got flustered when I was near Jack but I still didn't know what he looked like. Now that I do, and that I ran away like a scared chicken, because I was so shocked by how good he looks only proves it."

Baby Tooth attempted once more but Bridget only got up to pace around. The little fairy sighed, how could humans be so oblivious?

"Did I fail to mention I've only known Jack for a good two days and a half now?" Bridget said as her silly more that l-wordsickness was starting to go away. "That alone sounds like barely anytime for any…l-word stuff to happen. A crush maybe but I am only experiencing hormones and nothing-WHAT THE HELL!"

A huge light appeared in Bridget's vision. She instinctively grasped Baby Tooth in her hands and curled in a crouching position. Surprisingly no debris or any wreckage hit them. When she opened her eyes Bridget saw a huge tear in the ground that appeared like a gaping scar compared to the white clean snow surrounding it.

By instinct Bridget started to edge toward the crater. Baby Tooth buzzed near her, chirping in disagreement. "Just let me get a better look, Baby Tooth." Bridget fought against swatting and trudged onward. The Mini-fairy sighed in annoyance but deiced to fallow, remembering Tooth's orders.

Bridget walked closer to the hole as she stood a few feet near its edge. Inside, a glowing orb could be seen as the redhead titled her head with curiosity. Unknown to Bridget, strong fissures run around her and crack the ground she stood. Thanks to gravity Bridget tumbled down while screaming along the way.

Baby Tooth fallowed, hoping to see Bridget not hurt. Bridget fell face down in the muddy snow while groaning. When she got up Bridget instinctively reached for her face and gasped in horror when she couldn't find her glasses. "Where are my glasses? **WHERE ARE THEY**?" Baby Tooth looked around with anxiously until Bridget said, "Don't bother looking Baby Tooth, just go and get the others. I'll wait here for you guys."

Baby Tooth made a chirp full of worry, not sure if leaving Bridget would be a good idea. The redhead gave her thumb's up to show she was fine, so the Mini-fairy unwillingly left to go find help.

"Great," Bridget grunted. "I just had to be a dumbass and go to a giant hole in the ground. Then I fall in and lose the most important thing I could ever misplace. Just great, if anything could get any-" Bridget silenced when she felt a pointed object on her hand. She felt it a second time and figured out it was a shoe.

"Oh, sorry," Bridget raised her hand in embarrassment. "I thought I was alone down here." She tried to get up but had little success. "I didn't mean to swear, I just get really annoyed sometimes and…" Bridget felt a brush of another person's hand and felt an object in her palm. When she thumbed it with a caress she knew right away what it was. They were her glasses! "Thank you! I've been looking everywhere for this." Without much effort, Bridget placed them back on and nearly gasped at the appearance of the mysterious helper.

It was a human boy, or at least he looked human. The boy was tall, all elbows and knees, and super skinny, skinner that Jack, Bridget thought. His skin was so white it looked as if he was illuminating the light. His hair also glowed but was starlight blue and was both straight while a few strands seemed to have a life of their own with them defying gravity. His eyes were bright starlight blue, darker than his hair by several shades.

The boy was, oddly, wearing a silver suit of armor that only showed off his skinny stature a lot more. Whether he was a warrior or something Bridget didn't know. In one hand he clutched a Sheppard's staff. It was a lot like Jack's only with a diamond dagger on the end of it. The other hand was still held up, most likely from when the boy gave her back the glasses. Bridget thought that 'boy' might've been too strong of a word to profile the guy, as he looked an inch and a half taller than her.

"Um, I want to say thanks. You know, for finding my glasses and all. I'm literally blind without-" Bridget was silenced by the unexpected embrace of the taller being. "Hey dude whacha think you're doing huh!"

She pushed herself away and looked at him weirdly. "Is this how you meet people from where you come from or something?"

Bridget brushed some snow off of her and explained, "I'm flattered but right now I'm going through this eternal battle over another guy and I don't really need any more…"

Bridget saw glowing guy's eyes widen and his jaw drop. She immediately stepped back with a blushing face. "Sorry, you were just hugging I should've know better. I didn't mean to take it the wrong way or…why are you still staring like that?" Bridget crooked her head in interest.

A shiver passed through the redhead and turned her head when she felt another presence. Bridget sighed in relief when she saw it was Jack. "Hey I'm down here!"

* * *

Jack was so worried that Bridget was alight or not that he didn't listen to the last part of what Tooth said. Don't blame the Guardian of Fun if he wanted to know if his first teenaged believer wasn't hurt. Only instead of being harmed Bridget was perfectly fine and the worst part of it all was that she was with Poser-Staff-Boy and he hugged her.

Jack could feel his, normally, cold heart boiling and raging and he didn't know why. His whole body went rigid after seeing the jerk with his arms around Bridget. He was ready to turn Poser-Staff-Boy into an ice sculpture until North, Bunny, and Sandy arrived.

"Vhat is going on around here?" North asked with his arm akimbo.

Jack's blue eyes, still focused on the glowing boy below, said, "That guy is-"

"Nightlight."

All eyes turned to Tooth who held a look of pure astonishment. "It's him." Her voice was barely a whisper.

The rest of the Guardians, minus Jack, also had very similar looks.

"Mussorgsky," North gasped, his eyes widening.

Sandy fell to the ground with his jaw dropping uncharacteristically.

"I never thought…" Bunny didn't finish, while he covered his mouth, holding back tears.

Yes, Jack couldn't believe it either. The tough, hard-ass, Australian Kangaroo-wannabe was fighting the urge to cry a river. _"Okay it's official, I fell into some parallel universe." _Jack thought with an eyebrow raised.

"NIGHTLIGHT!" North cheered as the former Big Four ran down into the crater, leaving a very confused Jack and Baby Tooth.

Jack shook his head in disbelief. "What the-"

* * *

"HELL~!" Bridget shouted when she saw North, Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy charging. "I swear I just met the guy." She cowered in fear and huddled on the ground. "It's every woman and child for themselves! Duck and cover! I repeat DUCK AND COVER!"

Bridget trembled, awaiting the incoming impact. Much to her surprise, Bridget did not get bombarded and looked up to see it was the glowing boy-erm-guy instead. North was giving him a great big-bear hug while Tooth fretted over how unruly the guy's hair looked. Bunny commented that he (the guy) was a sight for sore eyes, while Sandy made images so quickly that they blurred and Bridget couldn't tell what they meant.

Jack eventually flew down with Baby Tooth as they took in the sight as well. The winter spirit went up to Bridget as the little gathering came to an end. North eventually let go of the guy when Tooth warned him he was cutting off the guy's air supply. When the Cossack saw Bridget and Jack he chuckled heartily before exclaiming, "This is such a great day. Leetle Girl can see, Jack found out a new emotion"-Jack gave him a dark glare-"And now ve have old friend vith us again."

"The glowing guy," Jack pointed out in a curt tone.

North chuckled, not seeing Jack's true attitude, and corrected, "Not 'glowing guy,' Nightlight!" He gestured to the glowing person.

"Nightlight huh? That's a nice name." Bridget complimented with a smile, also unaware of Jack's upset distinction. Nightlight blushed and started looking at his feet.

"He's a little shy," Tooth pointed out in a loving air.

"And a Guardian like us." Bunny replied with respect.

"You're a Guardian too? A Guardian of what exactly" Bridget asked Nightlight. He waved his hands and gave his old friends a look of distress.

"Nightlight cannot speak for himself I'm afraid." North said solemnly. "Like Sandy, Nightlight cannot talk."

"Oh," Bridget murmured and glanced away in awkwardness. It soon left when her natural curiosity got the better of her again. "So you're really a Guardian?"

Nightlight nodded. Bridget shrieked with excitement. "That's so cool! But of what?"

"We're not entirely sure about that one, Shelia." Bunny replied.

Nightlight had a very confused look on him and started to write something in the snow with his bladed staff.

"What's with the dagger?" Jack asked while leaning behind the glowing being.

"That's Nightlight's moonbeam dagger." North answered for Nightlight. "He uses it to fight off Fearlings."

"Fearlings?" Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Creatures of darkness," Tooth explained with a shiver. "They're made out of pure fear and the horrors that plague the known universe. Pitch used them a lot when we first fought him."

"'Vhy is she called Bridget now,'" North began reading Nightlight's message in the snow. "'I thought she's called Ka-' Oh no, no. Bridget is different girl. Same eyes but hair is not auburn."

Nightlight's eyes widened and he promptly blushed. He did glance at the girl and spotted a few differences. The one before him had bright red hair in a braid while the one he knew, once upon a time, had much darker color. Both of them had gray eyes but Bridget's weren't as lovely as the girl's Nightlight knew. His blush deepened at the thought of the girl and melancholy washed over him.

"Is that why you hugged me earlier?" Bridget asked in an amused tone. Nightlight nodded slowly. "You thought I was somebody else, go figure." He smiled at the girl-called Bridget-was fine and not upset.

Somehow that made the boiling in Jack's stomach lower slightly, but not much. He didn't like the way Nightlight blushed or how it became darker. If that **guy** tried anything on Bridget-Okay Jack really needed to stop acting like he was…nope he wasn't even going to think about it.

"Vhere have you been Nightlight?" North asked worryingly. "None of us could find you or…or Katherine." The eldest of the Guardians held gloomy looks on their faces.

"Is she okay?" Tooth asked quietly.

Nightlight gripped his and shrugged his shoulders, unable to find a proper answer. The Guardians' expressions were hard to read as Bridget and Jack looked at them with concern.

"Nightlight…" Everyone turned to see Ombric gradually walking down to where they all stood.

Bridget nearly choked when she saw him. Unlike Gandalf or Dumbledore, while both looked old, still held much youth and energy when she read the books involving the characters. Ombric was nothing liked that. If he was over a thousand or more years old he really looked like it. His tired face was wrinkled and had aging spots all over. His blue and white clothes appeared crumpled and ancient with the seams looking worn out. He was hunching over his Sheppard's crook cane (why did every white-haired guy she met apparently have a crook cane?!) and leaning most of his weight on it. He sighed wearily but smiled when looked upon the glowing sprite.

"It has been a long time Nightlight." Ombric staggered toward the younger-looking being and hugged him. Nightlight slowly returned the gesture.

"Katherine is not here with you." Ombric observed. Nightlight nodded sadly. "I see." The wizard's eyes watered but he blinked them away. "Well I think it would be best to go back inside. There so much I am certain all of us wish to know where you have been. 235 years is indeed a long time."

Before any questions could be asked, Bridget fallowed the Guardians with a sense of dread. Not once did she looked back to see a dark object lying where Nightlight had landed.

* * *

"Thank you," Bridget murmured to a glowworm before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. The Guardians and her were all in the dinning hall again as they waited for the healers to finish examining Nightlight. While he had no outer injuries, Ombric still wanted a thorough search, in case there were any internal wounds. The hot coco did not taste sweet to Bridget as she did feel that hungry anymore. She gently pushed the drink away as she stared at her companions.

All of them, even Jack, were abnormally quiet as they sat around the table. Tooth, who was usually so bubbly and energetic, was now quiet and looked downhearted as her fairies sat near her full or worry and comfort. Bunny stirred his drink a few times but lost interest and also pushed it away. Sandy hardly touched his eggnog and kept starring at the table with his eyes full of cheerlessness, something that made Bridget cringe slightly. Jack tapped his cup of iced water occasionally to make frost designs on the glass. But he also didn't seem to put much of his heart into it as he touched some of the water droplets on the side. North was surprisingly busing himself with folding napkins and muttering from time to time. Seeing him and everyone else like this made Bridget feel more and more unsure of her purpose, and of being with them in the first place.

After what felt like an eternity, a healer came out of the other room. She had everyone's immediate attention. The woman held no expression on her face.

"Nightlight vill pull through, yes?" North asked as he got up from his chair.

The healer nodded, everyone had a collective sigh of relief. "He is not physically wounded and shows no sign of eternal bleeding. We also check for signs of any other harmful afflictions and found none. You can visit your friend whenever it pleases you."

"You did that all in the span of five minutes?" Bridget was surprised.

"We may not be as technology wise as your more 'modern cities' but we do get the job done." The woman winked and excused herself, claiming she was needed elsewhere.

"Very well you may go." Ombric answered. The healer bowed and left without another word. "So shall **we** go and become reacquainted with our old friend?"

Bridget shrugged and quickly got up, much to the annoyance of Jack. The others soon fallowed.

* * *

Nightlight was sitting on a couch in the parlor room while staring at the fireplace. The flames within consumed the log greedily as Nightlight watched the fire intensely. When the doors opened he glanced over and saw his fellow Guardians, including the new ones, and the girl known as Bridget. He had not the honor of meeting the Sandman but knew him by reputation and that he was the Guardian of Dreams. His time within Pitch Black's heart made Nightlight aware of the Nightmare King's initial fear of the Guardian of Dreams. Now Jack Frost was a different story altogether.

Nightlight remembered hearing rumors of a winter spirit causing abnormal blizzards that Bunnymund irritatingly claimed where the sprites idea of temper tantrums. Nightlight was the sort of person who wouldn't judge a person simply by another person's account. But after seeing the occasional glares Jack Frost has been sending made Nightlight might just reconsider his original notion.

"Nightlight," North spoke hesitantly. "Ve are aware of how long it has been since ve last saw you but you must learn of the mission Manny has given us."

The story of how Bridget met the Guardians was fascinating to Nightlight as he found the thought of no adolescent believers mindboggling. But that feeling went away when he was filled in on the kidnapping. His pale complexion became much whiter than normal. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest at the mere thought of the Morrígan-he shook his head and waved his arms to signal North and the others to stop talking.

"Vhat, you do not like storytelling?" North titled his head in confusion. Nightlight shook his head and pulled out a pen and several sheets of paper from a desk. He began writing vehemently.

"What's this all about?" Bunny asked while staring over Nightlight's shoulder.

"You're drawing and writing to tell **us** what you know." Bridget said on the dot.

Nightlight nodded and resumed scribbling. Soon everyone stared intently at what was happening.

"So we're playing _Pictionary_ now?" Jack asked jokingly only to get silence. He puffed a breath of annoyance and remained silent.

"'I do know of the Morrígan,'" Tooth read aloud. She gasped in surprise. "You do?" she quickly recomposed herself and resumed reciting. "'When our mission to defeat Pitch Black ended in failure'"- Tooth winced- "'Katherine felt that maybe those four relics of the Golden Age weren't the ones Lunaoff spoke of.'"

"Who's Katherine?" Bridget asked. "Ombric mentioned her earlier and you tried to say something too North." The Guardian of Wonder twiddled his thumbs. "I know you guys know something. Something that Jack and I don't know."

North sighed loudly and said, "I knew one day ve vould need to bring back this old events of play but this vas not vhat I vas expecting."

"We know the feeling North," Tooth spoke soothingly and the other Big Four gave him reassuring looks.

"Katherine vas-no is Guardian like rest of us, Bridget, and she vas very special. The Guardian of Storytelling, she vas."

"Guardian of Storytelling?" Jack raised a brow. "Shouldn't that title go to the Brothers' Grimm or Mother Goose."

"She vas Mother Goose."

Bridget's jaw literally dropped. "Mother Goose was real?"

Everyone, minus Jack, nodded. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh~! OH my god, she's real!" Bridget was absolutely ecstatic. "Oh man, I use to read her rhymes all the time when I first started learning how to read!" Bridget squealed like a kid. She rushed over to Nightlight, clasped his shoulders, saying, "You have got to tell me everything you know about her. Her likes, dislikes, her favorite authors, and her possibly singing my old copy-"

"Ahem."

Bridget turned to see everyone give her a look that spelled 'really?' She glanced at Nightlight who looked disheveled from her shaking. Sheepishly, Bridget removed her hands off of Nightlight and backed away. "Sorry. I'm just a fan of her work, ya know?"

Nightlight shrugged and began writing again.

"So um, what was she like? Moth-I mean Katherine?" Bridget decided to ask North.

"She vas, in some ways, like you. Always full of questions, doing of the dare, and loved reading most all. Not as much as much as helping her fellow Guardians of course." North winked and Bridget giggled.

"What happened to her?"

Everyone did not say anything while Nightlight kept writing.

"Sorry," Bridget's eyes fell to the ground. "Too personal, I get it."

"No, it's not that," North tried to explain. "Just, very hard to think over again.

"I'll read the rest of what Nightlight is writing down." Tooth spoke up, wanting to change the subject.

"What are the four relics of the Golden Age?" Jack asked, hoping someone would answer.

"At least 300 or less years ago MiM told us of a way to stop Pitch." Bunny answered. "Or at least in the way he normally tells us. But anyway he told us of five treasures from the Golden Age could defeat Pitch once and for all."

"And I'm guessing that's not what happened." Jack asked dryly.

Sandy shook his head. He made an image of him and the older Guardians and then of Pitch and another one showing them defeating him in the Dark Ages but then resurfacing.

"He came back a little over 235 years ago." Ombric replied. "Katherine and Nightlight were still living with me at the time and she realized that the relics did not work to stop Pitch permanently."

"Personally I blame small children's early access to violent books and movies." Bridget shrugged absentminded.

"'Katherine spent many nights reading all of the books in the library.'" Tooth read out. "'She seemed almost like a different person. Several days passed until she told me she found an alternative into stopping Pitch.'"

"What alternative?" Jack inquired as he read the lines too.

"'She claimed that, from some old books that, long before there was even a moon, four treasures were made by a race much more powerful than any of the constellations." Tooth took a breath before continuing. "It took so long for her to find this because Katherine needed to translate most of the Gaelic words used in the books.'"

"Before there was even a moon?" Bridget blinked in interest. "How long ago are we talking here?"

"Five thousand years." Bunny simply put.

The Guardian of Fun and Bridget did a double take. "Th-th-that can't be right. The moon has to be older than that?"

"Yeah even I know that." Jack claimed while crossing his arms.

"This might come to as a shock but it's true," North said, "Man in Moon or Tsar Lunar as he is also called, lived on ship called _Moon Clipper_ until it broke down and became Earth's moon. It vas once the Lunaoff's family spacecraft until Pitch came and attacked them. Only MiM survived onslaught while the Lunaoffs tried to save him by going to Earth."

Bridget shook her head. "But the moon has been in told in stories and recorded for thousands of years. It's like the same age as the Earth."

"Well~" Bunny grinned like a fool. "Not exactly. There might've been some alterations to that whole thing."

"Like what?" Jack asked with a small grin growing. Bunny couldn't have-

"I might've gone back in time to change history so that everyone, including pre-history, believed the moon was really that old when it wasn't." Bunny finished quickly.

"Bunny you didn't," Jack laughed out loud. "Maybe I should've called you a troll instead of a kangaroo."

"Watch it Frost." Bunny warned while holding a boomerang.

"It was a good reason," Ombric defended the pooka. "Only that the stunt did force Tempus to order Bunny to never travel through time again. The threat would much too great."

"Well everything I know is a lie, Mother Goose is real, and fairytale characters are basically the _Avengers_. So far it's been a good ride." Bridget mused nonchalantly.

"Can I read the rest of what Nightlight wrote please?" Tooth asked, trying to hold back her impatience. Those who talked winced and nodded.

"'When Katherine told me of her plans to find the treasures I suggested for her to tell the others of this. But she said no.'" Tooth's eyes widened. "'She said they have changed too much after the failed battle and would not listen.'"

Tooth held back a few tears before carrying on the reading. "'We soon left on Kailash-' Katherine's pet Great Snow Goose from the Himalayas."

Bridget shrugged, "Why not?" If she was going to learn that the moon isn't as old as she thought and originally a spaceship, why should she care about important things like logic anymore?

"'We flew for sometime before arriving to Ireland, where Katherine believed to be the final resting place of the four treasures. But before we could even land a black wave came forth and…engulfed us.'"

Everyone was distraught by the news. Ombric was the most as he fell on a chair and covered his face in sadness.

"'Next thing I knew, I found myself in a dark place with no light or warmth.'" Bunny took over after seeing who depressed Tooth looked. "'I could find or hear Katherine as I tried to use my moonbeam friends to light a way. It might've been days or years before I could get myself out of there. After what felt like forever I saw a woman appear before me. Her face was pale white like a corpse and her body was covered in black feathers. But what really frightened me was how blood red her eyes looked. Everything about her seemed cold and dark and I could feel Despair all round me, the longer I was with her."

"Despair?" Bridget glanced at the paper. "Why did Nightlight write it with a capital 'D'?"

"'Because. That. Is. Her. Power." North read a recently made note from the glowing young man. "'She makes you feel every unhappy feeling inside and out.'"

"_Just like those crows did to Jack and me," _Bridget thought. She had a feeling the Morrígan was behind all of this. _"Aw man does this mean I gonna be needing to shout '__Expecto Patronum' at the birds now?" _Bridget rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"'Just as I wonder what might happen, she stepped forward and said that I was not needed and my light was hurting her followers. The darkness around me went away and for a mere second I swore I saw small bodies and cages above me. I was soon up in the air and fell onto the ground here in Santoff Claussen.'"

Bunny sighed and cursed. "Of course it was the scut all along. Who else would has cages full of kids and a bloody bird army?"

"The four treasures," Bridget mumbled to herself before asking aloud, "Nightlight did Katherine ever tell you what they look like? The four treasures I mean."

Nightlight put his hand under his chin for a minute until he snapped his fingers in epiphany. He took out another piece of paper and doodled the images onto the paper. Four objects could be seen and the five Guardians and Bridget knew what they were right away.

"It's the four treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann!" Well, Bridget knew at least.

"The treasures are from the Tuatha Dé Danann?" Jack asked with astonishment in his voice.

"Vhy did you not say anything before?" North asked.

"I didn't know what they looked like back then because I was blind. But now after looking at through a different point of view," she winked at North, "I figured out what it might be." Bridget went over to her backpack and found her Braille edition of _The Celtic Gods and Goddesses _book and skimmed through pages like a madwoman.

"Here it is!" Bridget shouted, causing most of the others to jump back in surpise. She removed her glasses and started reading. "'Out of all of the treasures the Tuatha Dé Danann prized, the four treasures from their four orignal island cities, Murias, Falias, Gorias and Findias were valued most of all. The first of the four treasues, from Falias, the Stone of Fál.' Or Stone of Destiny for a English translation. It was like the Stone of Scone for the Irish Celts. It would cry out beneath the king who took the sovereignty of Ireland. Others say it would even glow an emerald green when one of the Tuatha Dé Danann touched it." Bridget turned a page and cleared her throat.

"'Next was the ever famous, Spear of Lug, from the city of Gorias. No matter how it was held, the spear would always get its target and the wielder would be victorious in battle. From the city of Findias was the fabled sword of Núadu. He would always win any challenge with the blade and anyone else who held it.'"

"Like 'Rock, Paper, Scissors?'" Jack asked with a grin.

"Totally," Bridget replied without skipping a beat. "And last, but certainly not least, 'the Cauldron of the Dagda. Whoever drank from it never left unsatisfied from its contents.'"

"Sounds like something North would like," Bunny joked.

"I think you mean Sandy." North bantered. Sandy gave the taller man a look and shook his head.

"Guys," Tooth chimed in. "Let our Wisdom Tooth continue."

Bridget smiled rather proudly. "Thank you Tooth. Okay so besides all of that stuff of how great each one was here's where the moon and my book have to be on the same wavelengths."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked as he leaned on his staff.

"I mean that according to what the book says and what the Man in the Moon told us is almost the same thing. 'It is said that divided these powers are great but together they bring out an even greater power.' I can't believe I didn't remember this sooner. It says here," she pointed at couple of dots, "'that once the treasures are as one on the day of when seasons change can a power be granted. A power that not only helped with the seasons' change but is said to turn darkness into light.'" With that said, Bridget closed her book and placed it down on the table and placed her glasses back on.

"Man I wish we had THAT when we first fought Pitch." Jack grinned wildly.

"But what could it be?" Tooth asked her feathers ruffled with interest.

Bridget shrugged. "It doesn't say, and now knowing most books made by humans, it's probably not all that accurate."

"Its only source ve have." North concluded. "Nightlight also wrote that the books that mentioned the treasures vere taken by Katherine before him and she left."

Nightlight smiled apologetically.

"Again I'll hate saying this but the only person that might help us is the Leprechaun. He should know about this power 'that turns darkness into light.'" Bunny crossed his arms.

"Vhich is vhy ve fix sleigh at once," North declared. The others soon were nodding in agreement.

The doors to the room opened as Trevvor could be seen walking through.

"Trevvor," Ombric spoke up, getting out of his earlier slump. "What brings you here?"

"We, as in myself and few other 'rummagers', were excavating the crater Nightlight made-" Another apologetic grin from Nightlight- "And well…we thought you might want to have a look at this."

He placed a dark object on the table. Much to the horror of which it was concerned to, everybody saw a medium sized stuffed toy rabbit with button eyes. And a small black feather dripping blood was stabbing at where the rabbit's heart would be.

* * *

**Q-A: **Gosh over 10,000 words. O.O I didn't know I had it in me. Well wasn't this exciting? And old character returning and some more exposition was made out. Again I hate putting up cliffhangers but I just couldn't help myself this time. And yes I am making a timeline for this story and claiming the moon is 5000 or so years old. It could be less or more in the books but in order for this to work in the story it needs to be around 5000 if that's all right with you purists out there. And yes, there is going to be a slight love triangle in this story. XD Only it's unwilling on Nightlight's part. Poor guy he never asked for any of this.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	12. Good Time

**Q-A: **Well wasn't the last chapter something huh? This one might just make you all feel a little better and we'll see our heroes going on their quest finally. :D And there might just some more unwilling love triangle action, you never know. Also this chapter was partially inspired by Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City's_ Good time _and a shout out to _Call Me Maybe._ XD But only a little for that one.

Disclaimer: None of the characters that were made by more talented people are MINE! Songs included. OCs; totally mine.

* * *

_~Good Time~_

"_**Empty; abj, means to contain nothing; dull, meaningless."**_

Yes that was what Bridget and the rest of the Guardians felt after learning the horrible truth.

Jamie and Sophie were now in the clutches of the Morrígan. They were taken the same way like the rest of their friends and all of the other children of the world.

Bridget felt everything crash down after seeing the stuffed rabbit. She never saw the toy before but knew it was Jamie's after he told her about it when she first moved in. God that felt like such a long time ago for her, it also felt like that past was someone else's life. After seeing the rabbit, Bridget ended up in a daze. She had no idea where she was going but found herself back in the bedroom a while later.

The redhead crawled into her bed, not caring she was still her regular clothes or wearing the egg glasses. She did not bother wiping her face while tears fell down either. So much pain spread through Bridget while she lay on her side. It was hard for she to swallow knowing that two of very children that liked her were gone. Bridget would've acted like this earlier when she learn the rest of the Burgess kids were taken, but with having to keep a strong face for the Bennett siblings and being thrust into the whole saving every kid in the world got in the way.

"_To think, before I saw what Jack looked like, I was already imagining the looks on their faces when I would get back. Carol would be pretty shocked and explaining the glasses might be difficult, but it would be worth it." _Bridget shifted a bit so she could stare at the ceiling. _"A lot has changed since that fateful day, huh?" _

Bridget smiled while staring at nothing and the daydreams came.

* * *

"_It's really great here in Burgess. You'll love it here." Mrs. Bennett's voice rung through Bridget's head, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. _

_She blinked and turned toward her left where the older woman was driving. _

_Bridget had just left the airport in a town over. Pennsylvania may had some large cities but Burgess wasn't one of them according to Mrs. Bennett (or Carol as she liked to be called) while she talked with Bridget's social worker Bradley Connor two weeks ago. They were, apparently, old co-workers back when Carol was still a social worker herself. She didn't give many details to why she quit. According to Brad, Carol Bennett was "exceptional" at her work and every child she looked over ended up in wonderful homes and no signs of any stress disorders in later life. That was good to know, probably._

_Bridget nodded Carol's words while her hair blew in the wind. She had her car window opened because she claimed she got sick easily. It was half true; the other part was that she simply wanted to feel some warm air on her finally. It was nice being in a state that was actually warm in June._

"_Are you too hot?" Carol asked while turning into an exit lane. _

"_No," Bridget simply imputed. "Too cold. The air-vent on my plane had a broken lid or something and cold air kept pouring in. I couldn't feel my face for ten minutes." She slapped her cheeks for emphasis._

_Carol laughed. "Sorry, I had that problem a couple times when I use to fly too. Nice to know I wasn't the only one."_

"_I'm grateful that I'll going to a place that should be moderately warmer than Chicago. They weren't kidding when they named that place the 'Windy City.'" Bridget smiled._

"_The summers here are very nice and not too hot. I should warn you about the colder seasons. Here winters can get very severe. No one is really sure why." Carol held a calculating look._

"_Maybe Old Man Winter has dementia and forgets to go to other parts of the state." Bridget chortled a laugh. _

"_I think you and my son, Jamie, might get along." Carol grinned. "All he ever talks about is Jack Frost, Santa, and the Easter Bunny."_

"_Oh yeah?" Bridget attempted to sound laid back, as if to not sound interested._

"_And the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy." Carol added. "My little girl, Sophie, is like that too. Only she's more obsessed with the Easter Bunny. Keeps talking about playing with him in the middle of the night."_

"_They sound like they have a lot of fun. Your kids I mean." Bridget was pleased to know these kids hadn't stopped believing yet. The last two families she was with had parents who had told their children that those magical beings weren't real. Probably didn't read their kids fairytale books either._

"_She even asked for a pet rabbit on her third birthday two weeks ago." Carol added. "I told Sophie, in the best way possible, that owning a rabbit might not be good for us."_

"_Because of the dog you own?" Bridget remembered Brad warning her that the Bennetts had one, incase she or the dog would get in each others way. _

"_Yes, I was a afraid that Abby would go ballistic if she saw it and chase the poor thing around."_

"_Well I guess that's a sacrifice a person must be willing to take when getting a Greyhound." Bridget spoke with a hint of humor. "I mean you know what Greyhounds __**do **__to rabbits, right?"_

_Carol laughed. "I suppose so, but don't let Jamie and Sophie know I agreed to something like __**that**__." _

_The more the woman talked, the less Bridget felt nervous. Mrs. Bennett seemed just as anxious as Bridget felt. And her not wanting to plan out Bridget's life was an added bonus. _

"_I think I'll be fine here." Bridget did believe that._

"_Good," Carol smiled, forgetting the girl's blindness for a second. "And the kids are excited you're coming. They even wanted to come to the airport with me to pick you up, but with your flight being earlier than expected I didn't have the heart to wake them up. Which reminds me…" She took out her phone and dialed a number. _

"_Hello….Jessica? Yes it's me, Mrs. Bennett. I just want to let you know that I'm almost in Burgess...Yes, thank you for looking after Jamie and Sophie for me….yes I'll be home in about…15 minutes. Okay then bye."_

_Bridget heard a cell phone being closed and recognized that the call ended. _

"_It was under short notice, but getting my neighbor's daughter, Jessica, to look after the kids was easy. I think she might be around your age. Jessica I mean, you might get to have her as a classmate in the fall. And like I said earlier, we should be arriving into town in fifthteen." _

"_Okay then." Bridget could feel the optimism radiating from the woman next to her. This made her wonder on how things were going to go. Would Burgess be a step-up from Chicago? Would she meet nicer people? Would living with a single mom and her two kids be all right? Would anyone even like her? Would the two kids like her?  
_

* * *

"_Here we are," Carol closed her car door as she got out and opened Bridget's. "My humble abode." She laughed slightly. Bridget smiled a bit as she grabbed her white long cane. Its blue tape touched the concrete ground hesitantly until its owner got on her feet to the ground and stood up. _

"_I'll get your things."_

_Bridget waved her hand in refusal. "No that's not necessary-" "Please, it's only your backpack and suitcase. Just wait a second before I lead you to the front door okay?"_

_Bridget sighed, annoyed that Carol was trying to help. It wasn't that she liked the gesture; Bridget just wished people would understand that she wanted to do things herself. "Sure." _

_Carol smiled and offered the redhead her hand and lead her to the front. Using a key, Carol unlocked the door and called in, "Kids, I'm back and I brought the girl I told you about!" At least when Carol said 'the girl' she didn't say it with distaste. _

_Silence was heard._

"_I'll…go and get the rest of your bags. Just wait here." Carol ordered sweetly as she went away from the porch and back to the car. Bridget soon heard footsteps and the sound of an obnoxious voice._

"_And I was like 'No way,' to Johnny and he said 'Yeah,' and that's totally unfair cuz I told him to get me a _Gucci_ product for our 6-month anniversary. And would you guess what he got me instead? A dumb handbag from one of the local stores! What's the point of him going to the mall 24/7 if your man doesn't get what you asked for," there was a pause. "…no I didn't tell him to get me the _Gucci _handbag but if he was a better BF he should know what I like by now."_

_The more _this _person talked, the more Bridget felt annoyed. _

"_Um, Excuse me?" Bridget called out, trying to get the other teen's attention. The talkative teen wasn't responding. "Um, Jessica was it?" Bridget tried again this time a little louder._

"_Yeah maybe dumping him would a smart idea. Besides Greg was totally checking me out the other day and-" _

_Large whistling was heard in her ear as Jessica winced and she forcibly put her phone away. Her blue eyes scrunched in annoyance when she glanced at the redhead who held two fingers in her mouth._

"_Glad I got your attention finally." Bridget said with triumph, unaware of the other girl's scowl._

"_What's your problem? I was talking to someone."_

"_And you were ignoring me," Bridget countered. "I think it's common courtesy to greet someone, phone on or off."_

_The black haired woman glared venomously, ready to bring out her verbal arsenal. _

"_MOM!" A younger boyish voice was heard that finally interrupted the girl's talking. Carol placed down the last suitcase and opened her arms up._

_Bridget sighed quietly while Carol gave her son a warm hug. "Good to see you too." _

_Some squealing could be heard and Bridget heard the small patter of little feet. "There's my little girl. How are you?"  
_

"_Mommy's home!" Carol laughed as she held her girl up and gave her a twirl._

"_Hello, Mrs. Bennett. Glad that you're home. The kids totally missed you." Her voice was just drooling with butt kissing. _

"_Good to be back." Carol replied. "Thank you so much, Jessica, for looking after the kids for me under such short notice."_

"_It was totally fine Mrs. B," Bridget wanted to puke at how sweet and sugary the other girl's voice was. "I don't even mind not getting paid for a third. Time. In-a-row."_

_Well now she was just being rude, was what Bridget wanted to say but decided against it. "Well I gotta go. I'm meeting Amy at the mall a town over. We're going man-hunting." She laughed loudly at the phrase._

_Gee, Bridget wouldn't have guessed that. With that talking she thought Jessica was going to get a new accessory. Oh wait, that's __**exactly **__what that bitch was going to do. Did she at all care about her 'BF's' feelings? _

"_Anyway gotta go, latters!" Jessica walked down the steps as Bridget put on her pack and the Bennetts having a short reunion. _

"_Yeah I'm back now. You wouldn't believe she didn't pay me again. God, do I look like a nun to her or something?" Bridget overheard Jessica's whispering rather well. "And those kids are a nightmare. All they ever talk about are Santa and the Tooth fairy. Yeah dumb crap like that. Geez, you'd think their mom would set them straight by now."_

_Bridget felt her stomach clench up. She first thought it was because of her anger but it turned out to be Carol as she placed an arm over the redhead's shoulders. "Kids, I want you to say hi to our new guest. This is Bridget, she'll be staying with us for the time being."_

"_Hi," both of the children said with interest. _

"…_hi." Bridget said quietly._

"_And I want you to treat her with respect. She's new so give her time adjust and-SOPHIE that is not-" "Pretty hair!" The little blonde tugged at Bridget's braid, causing the other to yelp in alarm. _

"_Sophie!" Carol called again, this time the toddler listened. Quickly she took her hands off of the redhead's hair. She knew her mother's stern voice and knew when 'no' really meant 'no.'_

"_Now apologize," Carol instructed in a calmer voice. _

"_Sorry," Sophie sniffled, her green eyes full of regret._

"..._Aww~ it's okay kiddo." Bridget kneeled and felt for the little girl's hair and ruffled the blonde locks, earning a giggle. "The fact you called my hair pretty is enough to outweigh all that pulling you just did. You got some pretty strong arms too. Ever thought of joining the Olympics?" Bridget joked while showing no signs of anger._

_Sophie giggled once more. Jamie smiled slightly at the joke, thinking that this teenager was a lot better than Jessica already. At least Bridget didn't yell when his sister, Sophie, pulled her hair like Jessica did one time._

"_Jamie, can you help me by showing Bridget to her room?" Carol asked while ringing was heard. "I think Mr. Connor is calling. Probably wants to know if your flight was okay, Bridget." _

_Bridget shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure." She turned to Sophie's older brother and extended a hand. "Shall we go?"_

"_Yeah," Jamie said, took her hand and led her up the stairs._

"_Here it is." Jamie opened the door to a medium sized room. It was obviously hastily remade to become a one-person bedroom._

_Bridget poked her cane around and found the twin-size bed. She dragged her feet over and sat down. _

"_Is it okay?" Jamie held some hesitance in his voice, unsure of how the teen would react._

_Bridget laughed. "It could me the _Four Seasons _and it would still feel like a regular bedroom for me."_

_An awkward silence was made. Bridget inwardly sighed and knew she had to do something so she wouldn't sound like she was being mean._

"_I like it," Bridget said to ease the mood. _

"_Good," Jamie nodded in understanding. "Mom was worried that the fabric would feel weird or if the room was too stuffy, since it's an old storage room or-" "I'm fine trust me." Bridget raised her hand to silence the boy. "I think I can manage."_

"_Jamie!" Carol called out. "Bring Bridget downstairs so we can have a early lunch together. I'm making grilled cheese."_

"_Oh~ we should probably get going," Bridget grinned. "Grilled cheese happens to be one of my favorites."_

"_Mine too." Jamie smiled while leading Bridget out of the room._

"_Is that so?" Bridget asked with a hint of amusement in her tone. "You and I might get along after all."_

_And so they did._

* * *

Bridget snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a knock at the door.

"It's open." Bridget turned her head over to see who it was. The door creaked open and to her surprise saw Nightlight. He looked a little unsettled while he held his staff behind his back and his eyes looking down at his feet.

"What are you doing here?" Bridget realized her tone sounded harsh and quickly added, "I didn't think anyone would come in here, I mean."

Nightlight pointed toward the room's rug. "Oh, you want to come inside?"

The glowing being nodded in agreement and Bridget allowed him in.

"So~," Bridget began with uncertainty. She had almost no idea on how to talk with Nightlight since she knew nothing about him. She also barely had anytime alone with the guy before. "Um, any reason you're here? Not that you need one or anything, but-" Bridget was silenced when she saw Nightlight go to her bedroom drawer and took out some sheets of paper and a pen.

"Okay you want to write out something sure go ahead. No arguments here." Bridget raised her hands up to her chest. "But I should warn ya my reading of actual words is a little rusty and-" Nightlight already finished a page and handed it to Bridget to read.

"Oh," was all Bridget could say at amazement of how quickly the page was written. "'Can. y-You. Talk. With…Jack'?" She turned to Nightlight arching an eyebrow. "Why should I do that?"

With another newly written paper, Nightlight handed it to Bridget. "'B-because. You. W-won't. G-get. A. Cold. Stare. From. Him.' Is that what he did to you?" She looked at him with concern.

Nightlight shrugged. "Well I'm still not sure how I can help." Bridget replied.

A pale finger pointed to the paper Bridget was holding and she looked down to see more was previously written. "'You. K-know. The. G-guardians. And. Jack. Trusts. You. B-utter'-"Sorry-"** 'Better**. Than. I.' Okay while most of that might be true, but how am I suppose to help?"

Nightlight gave her a blank look and pointed to the last part of the page. "'Because. The. Moon. Told. Me. So.'" She gave him a soft glare and shook her head. "That's not funny."

He jerked his head toward the door, motioning her to leave. While sighing in defeat Bridget stalked out of the room. "Okay fine but not because of the moon saying so but because everyone is turning emo and that's suppose to be my job."

* * *

When Bridget felt empty over the kidnapping, Jack felt utterly, absolutely, nothing. A complete numbness covered his senses. He did nothing, even when the others called for him, Jack left to find a good place to be alone. The numbing felt worse than when Sandy was destroyed by Pitch, it was worse than when the Guardians turned against Jack after the Easter incident. It was even worse than when he saw Jamie starting to lose his faith in the Easter Bunny.

Jamie…oh why did it had to be him and Sophie? They were suppose to stay in their home and be safe, sleeping with hopeful dreams of their friends and Bridget coming back.

He tapped his fingers on a windowpane he crouched near and created a frost image of Jamie. Jack sighed while he kept glowering to the sky. The moon wasn't up but he could feel its presence. He knew a thing or two about lunar movements from all of his years trying to talk to the darn thing.

The worst part of this whole nightmare was that Jack promised. He promised to come back with Bridget and bring her before sunrise. It was two days passed and that promise was broken, along with Jack's resolve to-CREAK!

Jack moved his eyes to where the noise came from and saw a figure coming up the stairs. He noticed red hair and the familiar scent of apples and cinnamon. A scent that only Jack started to notice after the _Closet Incident._ He knew who it was right away.

* * *

The glowworms were exceedingly helpful with telling Bridget where Jack was sulking. He was up near an alcove with some crates and dusty furniture that made the inventing room look like _Buckingham Palace_. Though to be fair, Bridget didn't have an actual idea what the royal palace looked like, she just knew that was something most kids would say in a situation like the one she was in now.

She noticed that Jack barely acknowledged her presence. The redhead would've scolded at him for ignoring her if she wasn't already use to it. She also notice Jack had his hood up while looking through the window where he sat by. She had to admit that even through these horrible circumstances Jack looked really adorable with it on.

_"Why do I keep thinking this stuff? I suppose to get this guy feel better and all I'm doing is…checking him out. I just hope he's not using the Ultimate Emo-Hoodie 3000__ tactic on me on purpose. Just ignore his sorrowful look and talk to him. Oh, and ogling at him is a definite no too." _

So Bridget mustered the best inspirational words she could come up with and hopefully not half-ass them up.

"Um….how are ya doing?" Yeah, she had no idea what the hell she was suppose to do.

Jack looked up and (be still her heart!) held much sadness in his eyes but did look at Bridget with actual confusion. "How am I doing?" He scoffed at himself. "What do you think?"

Bridget blinked a couple times. "Whoa, when this become a role-reversal?" She held up her hands in defense. "When I became the 'comfort friend' and you're the 'depressed one' is a clear sign of the apocalypse of this year."

Jack's sadness was replaced with confusion. _"Excellent, he's no longer emo looking despite wearing Ultimate Emo-Hoodie 3000__ over his head." _

"Let me scotch over," Bridget commanded with dignity as she lost some of it after almost falling off of the windowsill's ledge.

Jack chuckled.

"Well I got you to laugh." Bridget half-smiled while moving a strand of red locks behind her left ear. "That's a start." She sat crisscross and rested her hands on her sides while giving the winter spirit her undivided attention.

"So, where do I start? Um, 'fear's only four letter word.' 'You should never give up on your dreams.' 'Hang in there.' 'Never say never.' 'Do your best-'" "What are you doing?"

Jack was confused by Bridget's odd behavior.

"I'm hoping one of those pointless phrases therapists and guidance counselors always told me could make you feel better about yourself." Bridget pointed to herself. "I figured one of them was bound to inspire you or something. I'm not exactly great when it comes to speeches. But I had to do something to get you out of your gloomy state." She smiled sadly before admitting, "And to be honest if anyone is to blame it's me."

"What?"

"Jamie and Sophie were taken the same night we left and I didn't learn anything until now. I feel terrible about it. For the past few days, all I did was play around and act so-so childish I could've done something more."

"That's not true," the Guardian spoke softly.

"It is." Bridget insisted. "Maybe if I had stayed…"

"And what? Probably get killed?" That was the last thing Jack wanted.

"There was blood on the rabbit, Jack." Bridget recalled.

"Yeah, but it wasn't-The point is you can't mull over what happened." Jack held a look of realization. "Just because we weren't there for Jamie and Sophie doesn't mean we still aren't."

Bridget half-grinned and dipped her head once at him.

Jack snorted and shook his head, bewildered by Bridget's apparent accomplishment.

"Ah~ I got you to laugh again and even smile." Bridget spoke while pointing at Jack.

"So what you just said was…"

"It was true don't get me wrong but I learned that moping wasn't going to help the situation." Bridget took Jack's hands and drilled her eyes into his. She tried very hard to not have a red face. "Right now the others are feeling pretty bad too and they need to get over that and we'll fix that."

Jack looked forward; amazed by Bridget's determination and that his face wasn't flushed by the sudden hand contact. "How?" Jack prayed his voice wasn't squeaking.

"Same way you got Jamie to believe again." Bridget's smile grew wider. She got up, holding only one hand now and half-dragged Jack down the stairs. He held onto his staff and gave her a bemused look. "C'mon, we got to find some helpers to help us out."

She laughed again and quickly pulled Jack's hood down, his white hair freely moving once more. His blush grew worse but Bridget didn't seem to notice as she explained, "We can't have you looking all emo to where we're going." Bridget kept staring forward out of fear Jack would see her red face.

That was all the explanation he needed.

* * *

"_Alright time for bed." Carol called out from Bridget's room. Sophie giggled and ran out toward her mother's voice. _

_Jamie groaned. "Can't I stay up longer? It's still summer and Bridget gets to stay up longer." _

"_I don't want your sleeping patterns to be changed up. And Bridget is older than you." The woman reasoned as she crossed her arms with good sense._

"_Let him stay up a little longer Carol," Bridget just finished removing the last hot pink bow Sophie placed in her hair earlier. "I'll tell Jamie when it's time to sleep." She mocked whispered; "I'll know it when I hear 'im snoring."_

"_Hey," Jamie pouted. "I don't snore."_

_Bridget chuckled in disagreement. "Yeah you do." She playfully shoved the brown-eyed boy for good measure. _

_Carol smiled and shook her head. "Fine. You can stay up. But thirty more minutes. No more after that." She warned her son with a finger held up. _

"'_Kay Mom." _

_The older woman smiled and closed the door, going to Sophie's room to tuck her in. She smiled to herself as she walked down the hall. Bridget had only moved in two days ago and she was already settling in quite nicely. Sure the girl didn't say much on the first day but after the kids spent time with her Bridget seemed to have gotten out her shell and become more open. Why the teen had never stayed at a home longer than a few weeks was still a mystery to Carol._

"_So~ what do ya want to talk about?" Bridget tiled her head with interest._

_Jamie shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted to stay up longer."  
_

_The redhead laughed. "Seriously? Is that all? There's no big secret you have or important tidbit that you don't mind sharing?"_

_If she could see, Bridget would have notice Jamie's hesitant look on his face. "Well~ there is something I __**do **__know."_

"_Yeah," Bridget arched a brow with curiosity. She placed her hands under her chin and inched closer. "Since you brought something up you gotta tell."_

"_I'm not sure." _

"_I'll tell ya a little secret of my own." Bridget said below a whisper. Her eyes brimmed with seriousness. _

"_Really?" Jamie's eyes stared into the gray ones before him._

_The blind girl nodded. "I. Have. Webbed-feet."_

_Jamie shook his head in disbelief. "No you don't."_

"_Yes I do." And to prove it, Bridget removed her socks to reveal from her pinkies to her toes. "See," she wiggled the digits to confirm the excess skin between them._

_Jamie's mind was officially blown. "Whoa, that's so weird and cool."_

"_Cool? Most kids just go 'eww' and tell me to put my socks back on." Bridget smiled._

"_I've seen stranger stuff." Jamie replied while look at her feet.  
_

"_And that 'strange stuff' would be…?" _

"_You promise you won't laugh or make fun of me."_

"_Kiddo, you think my birth-defect is cool. That gives you brownie points in my opinion." Bridget placed a hand over her chest and swore,"I, Bridget, promise not to tease Jamie Bennett's possibly humorous story no matter the cost."_

_Jamie laughed at the overdramatic scene before him and shook his head. "It's not that the story's funny just might be very hard to believe."_

_Bridget grinned. "The only I might not believe is a better cookie recipe than your mom's." _

_Jamie giggled, finding the older person funnier by the second. "Okay, it all started when Burgess had a snow day right before Easter…"_

* * *

_Mouths covered laughter while Bridget grinned. "So basically the Nightmare King a.k.a the Boogeyman a.k.a Pitch Black didn't expect snowballs hitting his face and had his butt handed to him by seven grade-schoolers. And all you had to do was hug the nightmare ponies to turn them back into gold dreamsand again and that revived the Sandman." _

_Bridget felt her insides exploding and her jaw getting sore from all of the quiet laughing. This was the only time she laughed though (except when she heard the Easter Bunny turning into a little bunny). _

_Bridget kept her word and took everything Jamie spoke with considerable respect. Not once did she find any part of the story ridiculous. The idea of magical characters like Santa and the Tooth fairy being part of a group of protectors for children did not sound remotely outlandish either. She paid close attention since Jamie told her of how he met Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy in his room after losing his front tooth in a sledding crash (or sofa since it was the technical cause since it crashed into him). She found the story even more realistic after the mentioning of the missing Easter eggs because she remembered people talking of it for weeks long after Easter. _

"_It's pretty funny when you say it like that." Jamie said after a few pearls of laughter. _

"_So, what else happened?" Bridget placed a hand under her chin after recomposing herself. _

"_We started having a snowball fight with the Guardians and it was so much fun. My friends Claude and Caleb even pegged Santa but said one of the elves did it. Sophie ended up joining us too a while later."_

"_And yet they don't make the toys." Bridget pointed out with a smirk while referring to the elves._

"_Yeah the yetis do it instead and one of them even signed my book. He signed it 'Phil.'" Excitement was clear in Jamie's voice._

"_Oh really?" Bridget was impressed. And honestly she was. She was talking to one of the luckiest kids on the world and heard one of the most fantastic stories she heard in long time. _

"_Yeah and when the snowball fight ended we all headed over to the pond and Pitch was defeated by his own Nightmares and fell into the ground. Then Jack Frost was signed in as a Guardian and flew on Santa's sleigh." He smiled in remembrance before adding, "But before he left, Jack promised he'd be there for me and he kept visiting after that."_

"_That does sound like a lot more fun than my Easter night." Bridget grinned before asking, "Could you tell me how you met Jack Frost again?"_

"_Why?" _

"_I liked hearing it the first time and I wanna hear it again." Bridget simply put. "But start at the part when you started losing faith in the Easter Bunny. That's when it gets really good."_

_Jamie nodded, "Okay," and retold the story._

"_Just when I started losing my belief in the Easter Bunny I heard a sound. It was coming from the window and saw ice forming. These two drawings of an Easter egg and bunny appeared like someone drew them with their fingers you know?" Bridget nodded, not daring to disrupt the story. "And that's when I started thinking he was real. And when I said that the bunny hopped right off of the window and ran all over my room."_

_Bridget smiled at the boy's joyful tone. "And then it __**exploded **__into like a hundred snowflakes. One fell on my nose and I remembered what my mom said about 'Jack Frost nipping at your nose' and it made me think, 'This was __**his**__ work not the Easter Bunny's.'" _

_The redhead smiled and squeezed a pillow, anticipating for the next part._

"_So when I said 'Jack Frost' I heard someone from behind say something and I turned around and there he was! Jack Frost! He was there and made all the snow. He asked me if I could hear and see him and he got really excited and made more snow appear. And he looks like a teenager, like you Bridget. Only he's got white hair blue eyes and wears a blue hooded sweatshirt and carries a staff that makes snow and ice and…" _

_Right now Jamie was simply rambling about everything that happened in that moment and Bridget paid no mind to it as she kept hearing him light up at the mere mentioning of these magical Guardians. She was a little put off by the mentioning of the Boogeyman but figured if kids believe in the good characters of childhood then that meant the bad must exist too. After all with no villain to fight, it would make a story less fantastic. Not that she thought this was only a story, of course, Bridget really did believe every word of it. _

_She was so lost in her thoughts Bridget almost didn't feel a warmth on her feet and heard soft snoring. Jamie had fallen asleep in the middle of his storytelling. _

_Bridget smiled and shook her head. "Kids…." She picked up an extra quilt Carol left for hear and placed it over Jamie. Bridget leaned back and placed her head on the pillow. She crossed her arms over her head and smiled. _

_~Perhaps staying in Burgess might not be as bad as she thought.~_

_~The Bennetts seemed nice enough, the town was quiet and people didn't bother her for the most part.~_

_~Yeah, this would a great place to start over. No one knew who she was and people could trust her.~_

"_Finally…."_

* * *

"Vhere can they be." North was ready to pull his white hair out. He, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy could not find their three teenagers anywhere. Well, adolescents by their physical appearance with the exception of the teenaged girl of course. The big four were traveling around the oddly deserted streets of Santoff Claussen. When they couldn't find Bridget, Jack, or Nightlight inside Big Root, they knew something was up.

"I'm sure they haven't gone too far." Tooth tried to sooth the former Cossack; despite her tone also sounding worried. Her feathers ruffled with anxiety.

"Cheer up ya sad sacks," Bunny consoled as he hopped beside them. "They'll be fine. We know those three are tough kids. They're still in the village and should be safe." His eyes darken as they also dimmed with uneasiness. "Unless those birds…"

"North! Bunny! Tooth! Sandy?!" Bridget's shouts could be heard around the corner of the village.

Without hesitation the four of the charged and ran over to where Bridget's voice came from. They feared for the worst until, much to their collective surprise, saw nothing of the sort. Instead they caught sight of a very amazing sight.

"Hi…" Bridget waved as she and her companions stood with several of the village children behind them. They were all standing in the middle of the village courtyard with no other adults in sight.

The big four were taking part in shocked silence as they took in the scene before them. Sandy was the only who responded to Bridget's greeting and waved at her in a slight daze.

"What, what is all this?" Tooth asked with wide eyes and raised her hands slightly.

"Well, it started out with this idea that Bridget came up with," Jack began while gesturing toward the redhead.

She blushed with embarrassment. "Jack and Nightlight helped."

Nightlight nodded in agreement, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Yeah but you came up with the idea," the winter spirit insisted, not wanting to take full credit of the awesome idea.

"And the idea is?" Bunny tapped his foot impatiently.

"To bring us altogether to play with the children of the village." Bridget answered earnestly while motioning toward the children standing behind her. They all smiled and giggled with anticipation.

North's eyebrows vanished under his bangs. "'Play.'"

"After the…events that we learned about I thought it would be good for you-for us to do something fun for a change." Bridget explained while wringing her hands. She walked over to North and quietly whispered, "Plus, I talked with most of these kids and none of them mentioned meeting you guys before we got here. I figured it was high time they should be given what you gave the rest of the world's children; toys, treats, hugs…I don't know just something fun for them to remember us by."

"Wow," a small boy with black hair looked at Bunny with big, ember, eyes. "My papa told me his grandfather's father said you were brown and wore a green cloak. Why are you gray and naked instead?"

Bunny drooped his ears awkwardly. "Well, uh…"

* * *

"I really like your wings!" A blonde girl shouted as she admired Tooth's appearance.

"Aww, thank you." Tooth blushed. She thought of something and asked the children crowding her, "How many of you want to hear the story of the flying elephants and the floating city of Punjam Hy Loo?"

Many small hands rose up eagerly. "I do!"

"Me too!"

"I wanna hear it!"

* * *

Several children swarmed around the Guardian of Dreams as he started to create his namesake out of thin air for them. The children 'ohed' and 'awed' at the glowing spectacles above them.

Bridget looked on with a smiling face remembering her first time seeing the dreamsand at work.

She laughed at what she saw and turned to Nightlight who stood beside her. "What kind of powers do you have? I'm sure the kids would love to see them."

Nightlight pondered for a moment until he snapped his fingers and came up with something.

* * *

"Here's one for you," North declared as he handed a gift to small girl. "One for you." He handed another to a boy. "And…" the Guardian of Wonder looked confused when he searched in the sack he had and could find no present. The small child looked worriedly and craned her head slightly to look over the table behind North.

"Now, now." North moved his free hand up and down, trying to ease the distressed girl. "I'm positive gift is here. I just cannot…" He looked up into the air and shouted rather loudly, "Jack!"

The girl squealed in delight as her present was lowered to her by a white-haired youth crouching on the tip of his staff. "Here you go." She smiled and thanked his before running off to join her friends playing with their own toys.

Jack jumped off and landed gracefully on the ground while North gave him a look and crossed his arms.

"What?" Jack held his hands in defense. "I was just making the kid laugh. Nothing wrong with that."

North opened his mouth to retort. At least until girlish laughter was heard, "Oh my gosh! These little guys are cute!"

The two Guardians involved with winter looked over to see Bridget and Nightlight surrounded by a large group of children. Little blobs of light swarmed above them as one of them had floated near Bridget who kept gushing on how adorable they looked.

"Ha-ha," North chuckled in amusement. "Vell it appears Nightlight remembers how to bring out moonbeams. Children and Leetle Girl like them a lot apparently…JACK! Stop making storm clouds." He ordered the resentful winter spirit. "Storm might frighten children."

Jack grunted and turned as the clouds and the cold winds went away. His appearance grew tense as he glowered at the ground.

North arched an eyebrow knowingly while stroking his beard. "No unspoken attraction huh? Surely you lie about feelings vhen you see Leetle Girl close to Nightlight."

Jack gripe with distaste, "There is nothing going on. And I don't care if there's something between-I don't care, okay?" He lifted his arms up. "I'm perfectly fine. Just felt like making a giant freak blizzard in Siberia. Nothing else."

Before Jack could stalk away he was soon bombarded with several children. They asked him questions like, "Can you play with us Mr. Frost?"

"I wanna start a snowball fight, please help me."

"Can we make snow-angels?" A little girl tugged the Guardian's sleeve.

Forgetting his past embitterment, Jack forced a quick smile. "Yeah, sure we can." A devious idea formed in his head.

"I actually got a great game in mind."

* * *

"Aww," Bridget cooed as she made funny faces at the little moonbeam before her. Its pale white eyes stared into her gray ones as the little lighter colored orb gave the redhead a nonexistent smile. "You are such a little cutie pie that it hurts. Aren't cha a cutie? Aren't cha? Aren't cha?"

"Ahem." Bridget turned her head with her mouth still in 'duck-face' from when she saw a big surprise. Well, surprise was probably too big of a word but she was surprised none of the less. Two teenaged girls stood before Bridget and they were perfect. In a way of saying perfect with it still sounding straight of course.

The two girls was a blonde with perfect curls and glowed blindingly in the light. The hair was protected by a fairly fashionable white Russian styled hat with a matching coat to keep the elements off of her slim and (yes if you want to know) curvy body. Her eyes were cerulean that held a proud aura to them. Her friend was just as gorgeous.

Instead of blonde hair though, the other girl had black hair and wore a red outfit similar to the blonde. Her eyes were green and shimmered with a knowing glint.

What they had in common (besides their getups) was they saw Bridget with her duck-face. The redhead quickly recomposed herself and smiled gracelessly at the two girls.

"Um, hi!" Bridget waved her hand, accidently swatting the moonbeam. "Oops, sorry." The little globe huffed in annoyance and flew off to see other kids.

"So, uhh~ I don't think I've seen you around. Though to be fair I never actually saw anyone until the other day so…"

"Yes," the blonde spoke in a very Eastern European accent. Odd, seeing how everyone else had English ones in the village. "Vell ve didn't have any intentions of speaking vith you to be honest." She barely looked at Bridget as she spent more of her eye contact on her polished nails.

"_Oh boy, this gonna be like Jessica all over again." _Bridget fought the urge groan and smiled falsely. "And you want to speak with me now because..?"

"Oh now, ve thought you'd know the most." Blondie replied in a know-it-all tone. She walked gracefully over and stood near Bridget. She stood in the same direction as the newcomer and clasped her shoulders. "After all," Blondie shifted Bridget slightly, "You know him **very **vell."

Bridget adjusted her glasses and squinted her eyes at who she was looking at. "You are having me look at the Sandman?"

Blondie glanced at where Bridget's eyes were focusing and saw Sandy creating a tap-dancing turtle with a top hat and cane.

"No, no, no." Blondie's head shook. She angled Bridget's head to the right instead of the left. "I mean **him**."

Jack was now in Bridget's eyesight. He was showing some children how to build a snowman and her very sight widened in shock. "Oh…"

"'Oh?'" The black-haired echoed. "Iz that all you can say about him?"

"Well what do you want me to say?"

"Vell…nothing much," Blondie shrugged her shoulders. "Jack Frost iz like, his dislikes, vhat activities does he like to do, and _**girls **_he prefers."

"What?" Bridget nearly yelled but quickly muffled her mouth.

"Oh, come now. You know him better than ve do." Blondie smirked, showing two rows of perfect teeth.

"Well I never saw ever him talking to you two." Bridget stuttered slightly before turning away. "Not that I stare at him or anything."

"Oh~" Blondie held a calculating look. "I see now. It vould seem ve aren't the only ones who show an interest in a certain Guardian." She glanced at her friend who nodded in agreement.

"That's not true," Bridget denied weakly. "I don't" She didn't have the willpower to say the l-word. "…show any interest in Jack, he's a friend and nothing else. I mean hey I just met him and this is crazy. What did you expect me to do? Just walk up to him and give Jack my phone number asking him to call me, maybe?" Bridget pondered over this and muttered, "I don't even **have** a cell, I think."

"Vell you vouldn't mind introducing him to us then, yes?"

Bridget jerked her head at their direction and gaped. "What?"

"Of course you don't mind." Blondie insisted with a flutter of her hand. "There iz nothing vrong vith my friend and me courting Jack Frost, no?"

Something boiled inside Bridget as she felt an unsettling emotion strike. It was inhuman and completely alien to her as it spread across her body. This new feeling made Bridget think some very bad thoughts. Such as deciding whether or not to turn those girls inside out, ask Sandy to make a giant sand anvil and land it over the village teens heads, or the most tempting one of all, to yell at them and order to back off from her guy-

"_Whoa, why am I thinking like this?" _Bridget mulled over. _"This is not how I normally think. Why would I care if those two girls…l-worded Jack-" _Tap!

"I'm not jealous, I'm just weird!" Bridget shouted, getting the temporary attention of everyone for a moment. She turned over to see it was Jack that tapped her shoulder and looked at Bridget apprehensively while some kids stood behind him.

Awkwardness came over Bridget again and she laughed nervously. "Hi, sorry I, um, talking with these two…" she pointed toward the walkway the other girls stood at and no one was there.

Saying Bridget was flabbergasted could be considered an understatement. Her eyes were the size plane wheel hubcaps like before and she stuttered uncontrollably. "B-bu-but-but th-there-there was these two girls and they said-and you were-and I was." She pointed to the direction each person she mentioned still gawked in alarm.

"Are you okay," Jack arched an eyebrow.

Bridget made the smallest jerk of her head. "Honestly, I don't know."

Jack nodded in understanding. His face turned into a grin as he proposed, "I was going to ask you to play with me and some of the kids." The children in question giggled and bobbed their heads.

"Um, that sounds nice but I think I'm going back inside to find what dignity I have left." Bridget smiled weakly before she started to walk off.

Jack was not going to let her go just yet. "Whoa, whoa, you're just going to leave after all of the work I put into this?" Jack asked with a smug look.

While fighting off the urge to blush Bridget curtly nodded. "Yes, but I lost some of my confidence earlier so I'll just leave before I make a bigger fool of myself." She kept her pacing as she stared over the horizon.

"Aww, but Bridget, the kids wanna play with you." Jack mockingly moaned. He stood in front of her, eyes pleading, hands clasped together. "Think about the children. You don't want them to be unhappy."

As if on cue several of the village children went over to the pleading winter spirit and held very dejected looks as they looked intently at the redhead.

Bridget's lip quivered slightly but she held her ground. She crossed her arms and put her nose in the air. "Nope, you're not guilt-tripping me Jack. It's not working." She opened one eye and mentally cursed when she saw them still there. "Not working at all."

"Do you hate us?" Bridget felt a small hand tug at her pant leg.

Bridget's façade was starting to crack. "No!…I don't."

"Then why don't you want to play with us." Little doughy eyes gazed at Bridget.

Her will power was officially obliterated.

Bridget sighed as her head wilted. "Fine…I'll play."

Before she could say more, Bridget heard the children squealing with joy as they jumped with excitement. Jack walked over and his smirk grew into a huge grin as he stood near Bridget. She did not turn her head from smoldering at the ground and pointed a finger at him. "Don't. Say. Anything."

Jack held his hands up, with one still holding onto the staff. "Okay, I won't say the word 'anything.'" He grinned at his joke as Bridget grumbled.

"Oooh, you can be so infuriating sometimes."

"I think you need to cool down." Before Bridget could even mock him for such a horrible pun, her face was covered in snow.

The familiar blue glow appeared on Bridget's face as she giggled uncontrollably. She began running and Jack fallowed.

Kids pelted them with snowballs as a free for all came to play. Jack's eyes brimmed with mischief as he mentally plotted his next attack on the redhead. The thoughts went away when he saw her heading towards the library.

"Oh, come on," Jack groaned. "It wasn't funny the first time and it's not fun-" his sentence was silenced by a flying projectile. It was a perfectly form snowball that hit him square on the face.

Bridget laughed with a hand on her abdomen. "Now **that** was funny."

Jack had an amused look while wiping the snow off his face. "Oh now you're having fun?"

She smiled with a nod. "Heck yeah. The look on your face was priceless."

"You're making a terrible mistake." Jack warned as he formed a snowball with magic. "Starting a snowball fight with me is a bad idea."

Bridget knew the risks and smiled proudly. "I'm not afraid. Does this look like the face of a scaredy cat? It is on!" She pointed at her face for emphasis.

* * *

"And that's why I like Australia out of all the other continents." Bunnymund finished, earning gasps of awe from his group of children.

But before he could stroke his ego some more a large snowball hit Bunny in the jaw. He looked over to Jack chuckling evilly as he and his group of devilish ankle-biters left to torment other unsuspecting people.

The pooka scowled, ready to get up when he saw a snow-covered Bridget at his wake.

"Should I even ask what happened to you?" Bunny deadpanned.

Bridget blinked. "No."

"Wanna help me get back at that bloody show pony?" Bunny crossed his arms.

Without a hint of hesitation Bridget said, "Hell yes."

* * *

"Yeah~!" Jack cheered as his group charged at another and came out victorious.

"_Do you hear the people sing?  
Singing a song of angry men?"_

Jack turned his head toward the sound and could've sworn the male vocals of that song sounded a lot like-He could not think anymore as snowball, the size of a mini-van, came plowing toward him and rolled down the street with Jack in tow.

* * *

The two singers and culprits were laughing on the ground. Bridget wiped tears out her eyes and exclaimed, "My insides are on fire!"

Bunny pounded his fist to the ground. "That'll keep me in high spirits for the next 100 years."

"I didn't know whether or not you'd know that song to be honest." The big Ankle-Biter admitted. "I was mostly spit-balling there."

"Well I do have my share of knowin' a few of them." His eyes darken before warning, "Don't tell Frost I said that or else."

"Right, don't want your manliness or bunniness to be ruined I got 'cha." Bridget stopped mid-giggle when she thought of something. "Um, where is that snowball going to end up?"

The Guardian's eyes widen in horror as he quickly hopped with Bridget on his back.

* * *

"And this is for you," North giddily handed a toy soldier to a boy while the toy sack was a few feet behind the Russian.

North chuckled at the eager little blond girl trying to take a peak in the bag. "Now, now, don't climb in there. Can't have you getting hurt from falling." He placed the girl in front of him and wagged a finger, not noticing the incoming object. The giant snowball came rolling in, catching the sack before North could his hand in. when all he felt was air, North turned around to see the bag gone. He jerked to his right to see the retreating ice ball and quickly made a hasty conclusion.

"JACK FROST!" North took out his twin sabers and charged after the snowball madly.

The blonde frowned in confusion until a bluish and grayish blur zoomed passed her. "Sorry!" The voice sounded like that of a teenager.

* * *

"And then the panda bear kept chasing me even when I claimed I wasn't stealing from the Emperor's son and brandished out the tooth to prove it and…" Tooth lost her train of thought when she saw the most bizarre thing all day.

A huge snowball was rolling down the street as dozens of pedestrians dodged it quickly. North was seen charging the ball while Bunny, with Bridget riding him no less, was busy shouting at North to come back.

Tooth sighed tiredly and glanced at the other confused children. "Sorry everyone, it appears I'm needed elsewhere." Before she floated away she told the Mini-fairies to stay with the kids to keep a tally of which of them lost any teeth and if they flossed them too. The Mini-fairies saluted and did just that.

* * *

Sandy and Nightlight were playing a very heated game of tic-tac-toe as kids watched intently. Just when it looked like the taller Guardian might have the upper hand, he tripped on the dreamsand image when he felt a vibration on the ground. The two celestial beings gaped in shock when they saw a huge snowball coming right towards. While the children ran away from the impending collision, Nightlight and Sandy stood bravely as the snowball came closer and closer.

Sandy gave Nightlight a firm look, the former protector to MiM nodded. They closed their eyes and focused on what they desired to create. With much ease they made a glowing wall combined with dreamsand and moonbeams. The snowball rammed into the wall and crumbled from the sheer force.

The children who were hiding looked up and smiled as snowflakes from the ball began falling all around them.

"Vell done, Sandy and Nightlight." North said as he reclaimed his breath. Bunny stopped a good few feet from him as Bridget slid off. Tooth flew near them anxiously as she observed the damage made by the snowball.

"What happened here?" Tooth asked with her arms wide open.

A groan was heard from inside the snow pile as North was the first at the scene. He hauled Jack out of the snow while holding a very disgruntled expression.

"Jack who said you could make snowball that not only almost ran over people but also my sack?!"

"I'm guessing that's not suppose to be a joke." Jack muttered faintly.

North fumed as place his hands on Jack's shoulders.

"Wait, it's not Jack's fault!" Bridget called out with worry. "Bunny and I made the snowball to get back at Jack for pelting us with regular sized ones earlier."

"The Big Ankle-Biter's right," Bunny admitted. "We got a little carried away I guess."

"A leetle?" North's eyes widened. "A leetle! That vas not **leetle**, that vas-" "Excuse me, Mr. North?"

The Guardian turned to see the blond girl from before holding a china doll and smiling a sweet smile.

North was taken back slightly but said in a calm voice, "Yes…"

"I really like how handed out the presents for us." The girl pointed to the road that was littered with many of North's toys. "It's like an Easter egg hunt but with Christmas gifts."

Both North and Bunny's mouths dropped slightly. "Uh…"

"That was so amazing!" The doughy eye boy from before said as ran over to see Jack. "That snowball made a lot more snow than the ground had before. A brilliant idea of yours to do that."

Jack smiled while rubbing the back of his head. "Actually that was those two over there that made it," Jack kneeled to the boy's height and pointed his staff toward Bridget and Bunny. "They're the people you should be thanking."

The boy called his friends and charged over to where the pooka and newcomer were and prattled at how amazing the trick was.

"Hey, hey," Bridget tried to calm them down, after seeing Bunny in an uncomfortable position with a few of the children. "Bunny and I may have made the snowball but Jack Frost's the one who made it snow in the first place."

All eyes peered toward Jack as he took a few steps back, not liking where this was going. The kids awed in realization as Bridget said modestly, "Well, go on, jump on him."

"Wait no-" It was too late, Jack was tackled to the ground with a half-dozen kids on top of him.

North chuckled while looking down the street. He saw many with eyes filled with wonder as the children picked up the fallen toys. "The toys are being collected by the twelves."

Children giggled and reveled at all of the excess snow and made makeshift sleds to slide down the large hills. Some even made larger-than-life snowmen as they scurried around.

Bridget laughed along with North, her arms crossed together. "It's funny, that we don't even have to try too hard for the kids. No matter what, it's always a good time."

"Pardon me," an older voice spoke. The kids broke apart from Jack and had apologetic looks while staring at the wizened woman before them. Her face was old but held many years of kindness on them. Her graying hair was tied into a bun and she wore warm clothing that matched the color of her honey-brown eyes precisely.

She clasped her hands together and gave the Guardians and Bridget a kind look. "I speak on behalf of the rest of the adults here in Santoff Claussen. We wish to thank you for what you have done today. This has been the first time any of us have seen the children so happy."

She bowed them in respect and the others returned the gesture.

"It is both a pleasure and honor to spend vith the children of this village. After vhat the people previously here did for us." North spoke gratefully. "Ve could never ask for anything more than seeing children happy."

Bridget smiled warmly and found those words very touching.

"But we have found a proper way to thank you." The woman insisted. She moved to her left and behind her was shown a stunning sight for Bridget.

It was the sleigh and it was fixed.

North nearly cried as he beheld the sight. He sprinted over to where it and many of the adults stood. He was practically speechless before giving most of them unsuspecting hugs.

The other Guardians ginned and quickly went down to see the restored sleigh, leaving a very mind-blown Bridget at the top of the fallen snowball.

"_The sleigh really does look like a snowmobile and a jet plane," _Bridget walked down slowly as she held her gaze at the contraption. _"At least what I've read about snowmobiles and jet planes look like before seeing this." _

The sleigh was huge and was painted red with brown, gold, and black coloring on the wood. It was held up with four metal runners on the ground. There were rudders on nearly every end of the sleigh and wings on the sides. The side of the sleigh also had the image of (what Bridget hoped was) a reindeer. Inside the sleigh had a globe of the Earth in the front, gleaming with the lights of children's beliefs. Behind it was a chair large enough for North to sit on and several rows in the back for other people to sit. She saw her reflection the polished wood and step back a little. "Whoa."

"Pretty awesome huh?" Jack asked while looking at the sleigh too.

"It's so cool!" Bridget gasped in wonder. "This was totally crashed by our mistake and now it's fixed again."

"Not what I was going for but okay." Jack shrugged as Bridget covered her mouth from laughing.

"But we were only playing with the kids for a an hour, how could it be fixed by then? Even with all of the help from every adult."

A chuckled was heard revealing the man to be Trevvor. "Child, we much more capable than you would imagine. Also with our climate, rebuilding a sleigh is common occurrence here in Santoff Claussen."

"_Derp!" _Bridget sighed and face palmed herself. "Yeah I probably could've figured that one out."

It was now Jack's turn to laugh.

* * *

"Goodbye!" Hundreds of people cheered as some of them held torchlights to lessen the nearing darkness of twilight. The people of Santoff Claussen were surrounding North's sleigh, for a proper send-off before the Guardians and Bridget leave for Ireland finally.

"Ve'll see you all again soon," North promised as he put the last bag of provisions into the sleigh. He crouched near some of the children and happily said, "I'll make sure plenty of more gifts vill be made for you all by Christmas."

The children cheered and jumped happily at the news.

"Starting tonight all of you will be getting special visits from my Mini-fairies and give you coins for your lost teeth." Tooth guaranteed with her fairies fluttering around her and children giggling with excitement.

"We'll miss you!" The doughy-eyed boy, named Thomas, said to Jack with his friends right beside him. Jack smiled sadly, the boy reminding him a lot of Jamie, and having bond with him over the last few hours. "It's alright Thomas. I'll see you again. I might even have another kid come over here. Him and you might get along."

"All right! A new friend!"

"Can we really bring Jamie and the others to this place?" Bridget asked him while Sandy helped her up the sleigh. Jack smiled uncertainly while giving her a shrug.

The crowd split for Ombric as he crossed the open path slowly. He walked over to the sleigh and stood near where the reindeer were hitched.

Bridget looked at the former Atlantean with worry. He was in a much more worse state than earlier the day. The tree was just the same only with the branches being so brittle that one snowflake on them could cause it to fall and the park was sickly pale and gray. She **knew **something had to be done.

The village was full of so many wonderful and unexpectedly kind people who showed Bridget so much compassion towards her and the Guardians. The villagers had already done so much for them. Gave them a place to stay, food, and fixed the sleigh. If the village would really go away after the tree died-oh, she couldn't even think what might happen.

"And you'll start making chocolate again. Won't you?" A small child asked Bunny after giving the little kid a goodbye hug. For a second a look of uneasiness sparked in Bunny's green eyes. The look on the girl's face was so innocent and sweet Bunny almost said yes in a heartbeat.

"I'll see what I can do." Bunny answered honestly before ruffling the child's hair. "I'll make sure it's spring here like on every continent and bring hope with it."

"Hope?" Bridget heard the last part and was somewhat confused by it. While waving goodbye Bunny explained, "That's my center Shelia. Easter is new beginnings, new life," he further explained. "Easter's about hope."

Bridget nodded, understanding it now. "And we will bring all the hope in the world for this mission."

Bunny clasped her hand in affirmation while she helped him climb up the sleigh.

The villagers and Guardians were silenced when Ombric raised his staff to indicate his desire for their total attention.

"So many years has it been since I last saw the Guardians of Childhood. MiM smiles upon us on this time where they must go on another quest to protect the children of the world. It has sadden me of what lengths the woman responsible has done to our land…but imagine how the friends of the missing children or the parents must feel."

The Guardians and Bridget bowed their heads in sorrow.

"But that is why we are blessed with having these champions to save them." The wizard turned his head toward the group and said with the out most truth, "The children are not dead. The Morrígan would have no need for them if they were not alive. And my hope has been rekindled after seeing Nightlight alive must certainly mean that Katherine must be living as well."

North sighed sadly but said nothing against his old teacher. _"Any man worries over their child but this has gone much longer than it should." _North thought in his old tongue._ "But who knows, Ombric might be right." _

"I give all the best of luck. And you too Miss Bridget." Ombric spoke directly to the redhead. He took a package of paper from his wide sleeves and handed it to her. "This should help keep yourself warmer than the coat you have on."

Bridget quirked an eyebrow but said nothing as she unwrapped the heavy package. Inside the paper was a light maroon colored coat made from the finest fabric Bridget could imagine. Around the hood was a white fur trim like the one on the jacket Bridget was currently wearing, only this one was made with real wool. The coat was a length that reached below the bottom.

What had caught Bridget's eye was the unusual patterns stitch onto the cloth. Each image was a complex woven square in the centre and four radials tied at the ends. They looked so odd to Bridget and yet they appeared-

"Aah, I see you have noticed the fine sewing of the crosses of Bríde. Or Bríde's cross as they are normally called." Ombric observed pensively.

Bridget blinked, getting out of her trance-like state. "Um, yeah. They look pretty nice."

"They are meant to be a sign of good luck you see. People in Ireland would make them during the winter for protection."

"From the cold I bet," Jack muttered bitterly, putting himself in the conversation too.

"Yes and no," Ombric answered. "Mostly from dark forces, like the Morrígan, for they and she **thrive **during this time of the year. Her power will be a force to reckon with, so I warn you all to use caution."

"Ve vill." North promised before he took the reins of his sleigh.

"I bid you all safe travels and hope you find what you are searching for." For some reason Bridget felt that last part was aimed for her more than the others.

"Let's go!" North ordered the deer as they effortlessly pulled the sleigh and began to go slowly.

"Be careful!" Mr. Qwerty chimed while fluttering. "Keep those books safe!"

"Don't worry, we will!" Bridget insisted while shouting as the distance between her and butterfly grew. "Thanks again for letting us barrow them!-Whoa!"

Bridget felt the same pull from the first time but it felt less harsh. Since she could see things now it was less horrific and fun to see everything passing by her so quickly. A pressure grew when the sleigh was no longer held down by the limitations of the Earth as she leaned to the ledge and saw that they were indeed floating. In a matter of seconds that floating was replaced with actually flying as the ground and its objects shrunk and went smaller as the sleigh elevated up.

"Oh man…" Bridget's eyes grew and her jaw dropped. She was flying and she could actually see it for once!

"Nice view, huh?" Jack asked as he casually leaned near her. Bridget turned, her eyes full of delight, and nodded. "It's more amazing than I would ever dream of."

* * *

Qwerty sighed tiredly. "I hope they return safely."

"Our old friends, the girl, or those old, stuffy books?" Ombric enquired with a half smile.

"Oh, um-well I meant to say-" The book-butterfly stuttered unprofessionally.

"I understand your worries, Mr. Qwerty, don't fret over it." Ombric turned his attention back to the sky. "It's them whom we should fret over. I cannot help but fear their journey may only be just the beginning."

* * *

**Q-A: **Dang over 30 pages. I am on fire! :D Boy was writing this chapter worth all of the cramps my arms have. All of the references I put in there were certainly fun. _Les Mis _fans must agree with me of putting that song in. God, Hugh Jackman was awesome in it! Hey I might do refs for the other voice actors. ;D Who knows?

P.S. Am I the only who has been imagining Richard Harris' voice for Ombric? XD For a while it was the narrator for the _Guardians of Childhood_ novels that you can find on Youtube, but Harris seems to be more fitting with Ombric's tired sounding voice for some reason.

Oh and please tell me what you guys think of the flashbacks. Are they good? Do they in anyway help with explaining Bridget's backstory? PLEASE let me know on your reviews or PMs.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	13. Burn Away: Part 1

Disclaimer: Story and Bridget is all mine. I DO own a downloaded RotG from iTunes and (someday) the official art book. Everything else belongs to William Joyce (or as I like to call him now: **The Greater God of Moonbots!) **and DreamWorks Animation.

* * *

_~Burn Away: Part 1~_

Killian chirped with anxiety as he stood near his Mistress after his return to the safety of the underground haven. She was muttering to herself while looking over battle strategies for the impending war. The general look pleadingly at his soldiers, asking for help, but none of them looked him in the eye. One of the crows was even pretending to preen his feathers.

"_Cowards," _Killian thought bitterly. He swallowed and slowly proceeded to the dilapidated throne his Mistress sat.

"Um, Your Radiance," Killian cawed with a slight crack in his voice. His Mistress' eyes painfully stared down at him. He fought the urge to squawk at her unsightly expression and remembered what he had to report.

"Killian has brought you the last of the offerings." With a wave from his wing a cloth covered object was pushed into the light. The cloth was removed to reveal the object as a cage with two small human children inside. They shivered slightly from the cold, due to the light fabrics they were costumed, the Morrígan assumed. Either that or pure fear on their faces, another sight the Morrígan took pleasure in seeing.

"It's wasn't easy capturing them like the last time," the goddess strode down toward the lone cage. "The taller one even threw a false hare at Killian. Look! Look! Killian even brought it back as a trophy." The crow proved this by tapping his beak at the toy that lay on his side.

Out of irritation, the Morrígan grabbed the bird by his neck and nearly squeezed the life out of him. The children winced and cowered inside their prison. "You dare waste my time with that sorry excuse of a trifle?" Her echoic voice rasped in anger.

"Your humble general brought other news," Killian gasped with his last breaths. The pressure on his neck lessened as he could feel flowing air in his lungs again. "Yes! Yes! Killian has more news!" The general nearly moaned, pleased that he could live another day.

"Well what is it?" His Mistress crossed her arms impatiently.

Killian quickly remembered what the news was and his ecstatic look turned melted into a sorrowful one. "Uhh, well…when Killian left for reconnaissance over the Atlantean in his village I learned something about the False Gods…"

"Get on with it!"

The crow gulped. His feathers shook as he prepared to wince. "The False Gods are coming here and will come after you, My Mistress." He shook once more for the impending abasement.

It did not come.

Cackling was heard from the Morrígan and her face wrinkled even more than usual. Killian removed the wings from his face and his red eyes widened slightly.

"This does not offend you, Mistress?"

The first generation Tuatha Dé Danann recomposed herself gracefully. She held a haughty look and arrogantly charged, "Why should it offend me? This has been what I have been expecting from the start. The Nordic trickster cares for these two," she gestured toward the lone cage, "including the other five as well."

Killian's red irises were no longer wide and he sighed quietly. "Oh well then in that case-" cold, pale hands seized him once more, his head being victimized instead of his neck. "B-but Mistress why? What did Killian do wrong?!"

The Morrígan's red eyes narrowed, "You doubted my strength."

"But, Killian would never-" Her clutch on him tightened.

"You believe I cannot fight them." The goddess accused. "That they are stronger than I."

"No, never!"

Her grip increased. "You dare speak to a superior being out of turn? If you query my strength and interrupt…that makes you a spy!"

Killian's eyes widened in horror. "Killian is loyal to his Mistress and no one else."

She ignored his pleas. "You have defected to the False Gods' side. You want them to find the Fire Arrow to have the throne than me! EVERYONE WANTS FALSE GODS TO HAVE THE THRONE!" The Morrígan's voice grew so loud that the ceiling quaked. Rocks fell as the children and crows did their best to hide from the falling debris.

The Morrígan seethed through her yellowing teeth while staring at nothing.

"p-Please Mistress," Killian pleaded one last time. "Killian would never think of betraying Phantom Queen. I want False Gods gone as much as you do."

The Morrígan ceased scowling and tilted her head, interested at the crow's words. "Is that so?"

"Yes…Killian thinks Mistress is all great and all powerful. The False Gods will certainly fall and Fire Arrow will not be found too."

"Well," the Morrígan looked at him softly. Her griped loosened "In that case…I will make your death quick and painless."

"Oh, thank you Mistress! Mistress is most…" Her words soon took a hold of the general. "Wh-what? What Mistress just said sounded like…"

"It's obvious you don't want the False Gods to reign," The Morrígan's pupils expanded, making the red pools turn into soulless black holes. "**YOU **want the throne!"

"No, NO~!" Killian's cries were silenced as he burst into a large puff of black feathers.

Jamie covered his sister's eyes before she could witness the horrible sight.

The Morrígan showed little to no remorse for the deceased bird as her attention turned toward the birds that stood behind Killian. She gazed at them emotionless and asked with the same feeling. "Who of you was a rank below the…recently passed general?"

Several crows took a step back leaving the unfortunate victor to be a female with dark purple eyes.

"And your name would be?" The Morrígan showed no signs of care as if she wouldn't even bother remembering the name later on.

"Aingeal an Bháis." The little crow bowed. "Your Radiance."

"_Angel of Death…how very suiting, incase of future mishaps." _ The Morrígan thought.

"I am the first to congratulate you, Aingeal an Bháis, you have just been **promoted** to General." The Morrígan grinned mockingly at the emphasized word.

The prize was worst than the loss. Aingeal gulped nervously but had no choice except to nod and bow.

"Good. I want you and a flock to go to these locations." The Morrígan ordered after handing maps to the newly appointed general.

Aingeal glanced over the parchments and confusion plastered on her face. "But, Your Radiance, these spots that are marked on the map have little in common and-"

"I am aware of little similarities those areas have," the Morrígan interjected. "But I don't expect you to understand, just do what you have been ordered. It would be a shame if our…**guests** arrived here too early for the festivities."

The recently made general silently agreed and crept away to give out the orders.

The Morrígan ruefully smiled as she watched the flock go off to do her bidding. She turned to another crow. "Go take that cage with the other ones," she pointed toward the one with the Bennett children. "Place them under the same…sway to let them rest." Her smile detained unkindness. She prepared to walk without a hitch until a voice spoke out.

"You won't win!"

A slight pause came in the Goddess of Death's stride. She turned to see the boy in the cage clutching the smaller child but his face was determined and showing no signs of fear. A trait in a human being that annoyed her relentlessly. She decided to not show her true emotions as she resolved to play along. She showed mock-interest and quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, and how is that?"

"The Guardians will stop you."

"Stop me?" The Morrigan feigned surprise. "The False Gods are the reason I am here." Her red eyes slowly turned gold, a color Jamie remembered seeing on a certain being of darkness.

Jamie's eyes showed confusion. "Wha-" He didn't finish his utterance when the goddess grabbed the cage by its bars and hissed at its occupants.

"THE FALSE GODS ARE THEIVES! I HAD POWER BEFORE ANY OF THEM WERE EVEN THOUGHT OF BEING CONCIEVED! THEY PARADE THEMSELVES WITH SUCH HIGH ASTEEM THAT IT SICKENS ME!"

The children winced at the ear piercing yells. Not wanting her victims to turn deaf, the Morrígan spoke in a quieter tone. "They need to know their place. I awoke to a world where your weak species flourishes all because of the False Gods' interference. That too disturbs me. How can they show so much compassion to creatures that barely acknowledge their existence…?"

The Morrígan's eyes shifted to gaze somewhere else as she muttered, "Yes, they do have no right-they will pay-it will come, indeed it will come."

The siblings were unsure on how to respond to the odd behavior until the Morrígan came back from her thoughts. She stared deeply at the two and snarled. "The sovereignty of the False Gods will come to an end on winter's birth. I am my most powerful on the day and their attempts to bring out the Fire Arrow will be all for naught."

Jamie wanted to roll his eyes. "No way is that gonna happen. Jack and the other Guardians will totally beat your-"

Black crow feathers covered his and sister's body from a gust of wind. Immediately they fell into unconsciousness. The Morrígan slowly retracted her right-clawed-hand from the cage after casting the feathers onto the children. Her look did not change from its cold indifference as the cage was rolled to where the other ones were kept.

The Morrígan felt a slight pressure under her foot as she started to leave for her throne. She lifted her foot to reveal the stuffed rabbit her former general ranted in relation to. Specks of blood and a feather from the crow stained the toy, giving it an appearance that most black-clad wearing human adolescents would mistake for gothic satire.

Blood was one of the effects homunculi gained after basic education. Most Alchemists would claim that the Majik to make a homunculus could be able to not only give the being the ability to walk on their own but also speak for themselves. Another trait the Morrígan despised in lesser beings. Begins created by her own hands were included.

A smile found its way on the Morrígan while she examined the toy with her hands. She turned to a lone crow with new orders. "Do you recall that….** other **'guest' of ours that has been occupying the pit near the offerings for some time?"

Well not exactly orders, just not yet.

The crow made a face, evoking the memories in his mind of the unfortunate times when he and several other crows to go feed the glowing atrocity. That brute held no regrets of temporally blinding them with its little glowing spheres and its pathetic attempts of escaping. The crow unenthusiastically nodded.

"Yes, I think it's time to let him…depart. I will join you shortly." The goddess handed the rabbit to him. "And let this be a sign for the False Gods, surely that ignorant whelp is close to them by his overconfidence in their **triumph**." She mocked the last word with a sneer.

Recalling what had happened to the last crow that angered her, the crow took the toy and took the toy to where the glowing boy resided.

The Morrígan fallowed the crow and mulled over the previous events. _"It'll be like the prophet said, 'Darkness will the others fall, with one remaining to rule over all'…in due time will it happen, in due time."_

* * *

"Wow, this so awesome!" Bridget's gray eyes twinkled as she gawk at the moving scenery below her. All the pine trees and natural objects looked so tiny as if they sprinkled the ground like little dots. Even if it was late at night, the moon glowed brightly so the ground could be seen.

"Is that all you're gonna keep saying?" Jack leaned casually on the sleigh's edge where the girl was.

"What else can I say?" The redhead quirked an eyebrow while adjusting her egg glasses, "I'm flying in 'Santa's' sleigh, breaking who knows how many international traveling laws by flying without a passport, and who knows what else." Her eyes returned to starring on the snowy ground. "Plus, the view from up here is incredible."

"Ugh, could please not say how high up we are, Shelia." Bunnymund complained through paw-covered face.

"Still not a fan of heights?" Bridget indicated.

"The ground is much more stable and where my tunnels are." Bunny reasoned, his face still in his paws.

"But where's the fun in that?" Jack asked with a smirk. Bunny gave him a sour look.

"I have to agree with Jack on this one," Bridget grinned happily. She raised her arms widely while saying, "This is by far one of the coolest things I've done so far."

North chuckled heartily. "Glad to be hearing of that, Leetle Girl." Bridget smiled, wrinkling her nose at the Guardian in the process.

Her smiled broaden when she glanced at North's wardrobe. "I didn't know you wore that kind of hat North."

The Guardian of Wonder turned to the redhead and mirrored her smile. "Ah, you like? Ha-ha! Yes, this hat I had since I vas a little Cossack. I vorn it my whole life."

Bridget smiled, thinking that was a fact of the jolly man. "Well you look great with it on."

"I do?" North smiled with good humor.

Bridget nodded. "It suits you."

"I'll keep that in mind." North said while giving a quick glance to Jack. He raised his eyebrows, motioning his hat with a smile. Jack shook his head and scoffed at the ridiculous notion to wear that hat. _"It does look kinda cool though-STOP!"_

North chuckled while taking something out of his pocket. It was one of his teleportation snow-globes. "I say, Ireland," he spoke to the glass orb.

"Ohh~! Won't this be exciting?" Tooth could barely hold her joy. "I haven't been to Ireland in such a long time."

"Should I even ask her how long that was?" Jack whispered to Baby Tooth. The little fairy shrugged.

"Here we go!" North tossed the snow-globe into the air. No glowing portal could be seen and the globe instead fell down.

"What the-That's not suppose to happen!" Bunny exclaimed after he didn't hear the sounds of a portal opening.

"Муха вниз!" The sleigh dived down, shooting with the force of a torpedo. The intensity pushed the passengers back and caused most of them to clasp anything to keep them from falling off.

Bridget grabbed to the first thing she felt as the experience of crashing came back to her senses. The sleigh hurtled into the snow-covered ground, its occupants moaning in pain.

"Oww," Bridget bit her tongue to keep herself from cursing.

"Is everyone alright?" North's voice boomed while he pulled himself out of the snow. Many of them had fallen off right when they landed.

Bridget opened her eyes to see she was staring right into Jack's. He was the thing she grabbed onto in the last minute. Like the _Closet Incident_ and _CPR Fiasco _both the teenagers scrambled away from each other from embarrassment.

"Are you two okay?" Tooth flew near them, unaware of the uncomfortable atmosphere. Her amethyst scanned Bridget's appearance and noticed something off. "You're not getting sick are you Bridget?"

Bridget shook her head. "Of course not, I'm fine."

"But your face is all red," Tooth pointed out with concern. She was still unaware of the situation at hand. "Are you sure-" "I'm fine!"

Bridget jerked her head downwards and grumbled to herself while walking a few feet away.

"Did I say something bad to her?" Tooth inquired Jack. He signed loudly and face palmed in annoyance.

"Vhere is it, vhere is snow globe." North combed through the snow, desperate to find the lost glass ball.

Bunny hopped to North's side, an anxious look of his own was on the pooka. "Ya need to go and calm down your deer, North. They're acting like real brumbies." The pooka motioned to the six deer, all of them breaking up earth with their hooves.

A light could be seen falling from the sky and it turned out to be Nightlight with the snow globe safe and sound in his hands.

"Ah, Nightlight, thank you my friend." The Guardian of Wonder gave the glowing boy a huge hug before taking the globe out of his hands. Nightlight smiled and nodded in return for the gratitude.

"Glad we got him on our side." Bridget said grinning, no longer feeling humiliated. Jack fought the urge to roll his eyes and placed his hand under his chin.

Everyone grouped near North, as they were all confused to why the portal didn't open.

"I don't understand," North viewed the trinket worriedly. "It always vorked for me."

"Maybe the thing's broken?" Bridget offered with a half-shrug.

North shook his head. "No~" He started pacing. "There must be a reason behind it. Snow globe never failed before."

"What's that in the globe?" Jack pointed with his staff. Inside the glass orb was a tiny speck. It was soon joined by more tiny dots, dots that when looked closely were colored black. Bridget's eyes widened when she recognized the specks shapes. "Feathers…those are-" "LOOK OUT!"

North roared after throwing the ball like it was a hand Grande. Several yards away the ball exploded with a thundering sound. Black feathers danced in the air for a few moments until they formed into a small tornado and flew up in the air.

"Is everyone alright? No broken of the bones or bruises?" North inquired as they got out of their little huddle. Tooth shivered violently until Bunny helped her, Sandy was half-stuck in the ground before Nightlight pulled him out. Jack wiped some extra snow off of him as Bridget walked forward to where what was left of the globe landed.

"What was that?" Bridget asked with an eyebrow raised. "I mean I **know **what it was but **why**?" She lifted her arms in confusion. "Someone has to have some explanation to what all those feathers..."

No one had an answer to her queries, as reasonable as they were.

"Trust me Shelia we all want answers as much as you do." Bunny stepped forward. "But this is," he nodded to the stained and blackened snow and sigh in exasperation. "I've no idea what to call this."

"'Sabotage?'" Tooth translated for Sandy from his images. She contemplated for a moment. "It would seem obvious the Morrígan wouldn't want us to save the children."

"Well we can still get there," Jack said optimistically. "To Ireland I mean. You've got plenty of more snow globes, right North?" He spotted North's dejected look right away. The winter spirit chose his next words carefully. "You do have more right?"

North sighed. "Of course I do, but that vould mean head back to Pole to retrieve them."

"You mean you didn't bring extras with you?!" Bunny nearly yelled in anger.

North rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I never thought of needing more."

Bridget held up her arms in defeat. "Well that was definitely not the case here."

Bunny grinned when he thought of something. "I guess this means we'll be using my tunnels after all."

The redhead paled slightly while back away. "Please don't tell me it's like the snow globe portals." She clutched her stomach in fear. "I don't want any of those tummy-churning sensations again, thank-you very much."

"It'll be fine ya Big Ankle-biter," Bunny reassured her. "Buckle-up." He thumped his foot to the snowy ground.

A large hole opened up in front of them all. Bridget was impressed with how deep and…hole-y it was. At least she was impressed until a huge wave of blackness came out of it. Just like before everyone grouped together as the dark wave kept shooting out of the tunnel. Cawing was heard through the blowing wind as Bridget took a glimpse and indeed saw crows flying out of the hole. Eventually the large swarm began to thin out with less crows rushing through the air.

The group broke apart once more while they stared at the retreating flock that flew up into the open sky. Bridget dropped her jaw and exhaled in shock. Bunny head over to his hole as quickly as he could. Bridget and the others were too far to see but from how Bunny was reacting it wasn't good at all. His shoulders and ears dropped and he was utterly speechless. The hole was no longer green and healthy with little spring flowers and grass, it was dying like the Big Root tree.

"Ohh," Tooth wanted to cry but decided against it to stay strong for the long-eared Guardian. She tried her best to comfort him with a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Bunny."

"This is nothing compared to what happened in the 60s." The pooka smiled ruefully.

"_Didn't know Bunny cared about the environment…though if the Earth is harmed that must mean the tunnels get harmed too." _Bridget lazily crossed her arms and gave Bunny a sympathetic look. _"Those tunnels are also a part of his home I bet."_ She nearly chocked when she came to realization.

"She did this," Bunny spoke, barely above a whisper. He jumped up and pointed at the hole while asking Nightlight, "This was her doing, wasn't it?"

With a very pained look, Nightlight nodded solemnly.

Bunny fought the urge to curse while he hopped around in aggravation. "That scut, messin' with the ankle-biters, harming Santoff Claussen, and now **this**?" He pointed back to the hole.

"Bunny," North began, trying to sooth his friend. "Maybe this 'one-time thing.' Perhaps the Morrígan only vent after one tunnel."

Bunny shook his head. "No. If one's harmed, they all are. I can feel it in my bones."

"That shouldn't mean you should give up." Bridget said. All eyes turned to her and by instinct she clasped her right wrist. "It only means for you to fight even harder. I use to get in fights when I was younger after kids teased me. I'm not saying to start a fight-though by this point the Morrígan deserves it, sorry rambling-but the Morrígan needs to know that the people she goes after aren't just going to give up with out a fight. Figure of speech of course."

"Bridget is right," North said with absolute agreement. "And if the Morrígan threatens you, she threatens us all." He cracked his knuckles as if to show how ready he was to confront the goddess.

"Yeah," Jack floated near Bunny. "If you're gone, Cottontail, who am I gonna make fun of? Plus Easter will get pretty dull if I can't make it snow and you're not there to yell at me."

Bunny made a sort of humph noise. "I suppose that was meant to be funny."

"Ah, but I got you to smile." Jack pointed out with a grin of his own.

"That's because I was thinking of all the ways I could bury you to the ground."

"Aww," Tooth cooed to Bridget. "Bunny's back to his old self again."

Bridget eyed the fairy worriedly. "And death threats are normal?"

A chuckle was heard, belonging to North. "It is vith those two." He clapped his hands in termination. "Now ve must get going to Ireland, yeah?"

"But what about the snow globe?" Tooth asked.

"Any my tunnels," Bunny interjected.

"In time those vill be saved." North decreed. "Once Children of World are saved too." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Though, reindeer vill need to rest and eat each then and now." He once again messed up the phrasing of 'every now and then.'

"Not to mention Bridget too." Jack gestured to the redhead.

Bridget pushed that point away. "Ahh, I can sleep on the sleigh if it happens, since they gave me a sleeping bag and all. Plus the villagers were kind enough to give us food for the trip." She ran over to the sleigh and gasped in surprise as she unwrapped one of the packages. "Aww, they even gave us those little bread rolls from the first dinner I had." She stuffed one in her mouth and moaned in ecstasy.

Jack smiled and walked over to grab a roll until Bunny stopped him. "Let the people who actually **need **to eat, eat the provisions."

The winter spirit rolled his eyes. "Is this your idea of teaching me manners?"

Before Bunny could retort North got in-between them, giving both a stern look.

"So are we going to Ireland or what?" Bridget raised her arms up with a half smile. "With all of the bad stuff that's happened to us now, what's the worst that could happen." Her eyes widened in horror and her face quickly turned into a look of irritation. "Unless I just jinxed us." Bridget slapped her head in annoyance. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

"Ahh, now," North went up to her, gently grabbing the redhead's hand from hitting herself. "No bodily harm on my vatch." He quickly glanced over at Bunny and Jack who both thought looking at the ground or sky was much more interesting at the moment. "But I cannot let Leetle Girl sleep in sleigh." He shook his head. "Not proper at all."

"You got any better ideas?" Bridget crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side.

North held a dejected look. "No."

"Well let's get going!" Bridget pumped her hands up.

"Right we cannot waste anymore time!" North and the others soon climbed back in. Bridget inched toward the front seat and smiled widely at the ex-Cossack.

"Do I get to drive the sleigh?"

"No!"

"You're still sore about the whole sleigh crashing thing, huh?"

Nothing else needed to be asked at that point.

* * *

"_And that's why I thought showing Jack Frost how to play the new _Rainbow Quest X _game I got would be fun until he accidently froze the circuits." Jamie told that rather amusing story to Bridget while they sat on the porch. Three weeks have passed since Bridget moved in and by that point Jamie was completely fine with telling her all of the stuff he and Jack did after the battle with Pitch Black. She didn't show any signs of objecting to him telling her the stories at least._

_Bridget rested her chin under a hand and snorted slightly. "That's what happens when you let a __**winter **__spirit play with electronic devices." _

_Jamie shrugged. "It sounded like a fun idea at the time." He rubbed the back of his neck before adding, "The real problem was explain how my _Z-Square_ got ruined with ice. In the middle of May."_

_Bridget arched an eyebrow in consideration. "That would be a challenge to explain to your mom."_

"_Jamie!" Both of them turned for Jamie to see his friends calling him as they ran towards his house. Bridget smiled slightly at the prospect of meeting more kids as the children began talking to one another._

"_You won't believe what my dad finally got me." That was clearly a girl's voice._

"_It wouldn't be that skateboard you kept going on about getting, Pippa?" Bridget could hear the sarcasm in is voice. Gosh, Jamie's turning into a little Bridget._

"_Yeah," the girl named Pippa. "And we are gonna go and test it out!"_

"_And Pippa said we could take turns on it too." And that was another boy's voice that was full of excitement._

_Jamie sighed sadly. "I can't go guys." _

_His friends soon moaned in protest. "I really can't," Jamie protested. "My mom is out for work and won't back until around 5…plus __**she's**__ here." _

"_You mean-" "And I was like 'no way'-and then she 'yeah uh-huh' and that couldn't be true 'cuz he promised me we'd be like forever-"_

"_Jessica's looking after you?" Bridget could easily hear Pippa's disdained tone. Smart kid to know who is and isn't mean. "She's a total jerk." Scratch that, the kid's an absolute genius._

"_I know," Jamie agreed with a groan. "But I can't leave Sophie with her."_

"_I can look after the kid." Bridget raised her hand in offering. _

"_Really?" Bridget could hear how surprised Jamie sounded. _

_The redheaded teen smiled. "Sure. I'll keep that yahoo babysitter of yours busy and look after Sophie, no prob."_

"_Are you-" "I'll be fine." Bridget promised with a smile. "Go on and play with your friends. Just get back here at 4:30, before your mom shows up."_

_When she heard no feet running off Bridget added, "I'll take the heat from Jess if she notices you're gone." She smirked slightly. "But I don't think that'll happen anytime soon."_

_Small fits of giggles could be heard. "Yeah you're right." _

_Bridget gently pushed the kid's shoulder. "Go on and have some fun. The wind and sun feel like it's a good day and your friends wanna play. Plus it's summer. It would be like, illegal to not play every day." _

_More laughter was heard but only coming from Jamie this time. "Yeah you're right. C'mon guys let's go!"_

"_Yeah!" Jamie's friends responded positively. _

"_Bye Bridget!" Jamie yelled behind his back._

"_See you around!" Pippa shouted._

"_Thanks for letting Jamie come with us!" The boy from earlier called._

"_Have a good rest of the day." Another girl shouted._

_The rest of the children bid Bridget their farewells and headed toward the park with exhilaration._

"_Good bunch of kids those are." Bridget smiled while crossing her legs on the chair she sat on. She removed the bookmark out of her book and began to read about the fantastic adventures of Captain Nemo until…_

"_Ugh!" The front door slammed open, an irritated Jessica walking out, and leaving a wincing Bridget from the noise. "I can't take it anymore!"  
_

_Bridget thought Jessica meant about all of the interruptions. "Yeah."  
_

"_That little kid is a total nightmare." Jessica elaborated. "She keeps pulling at my hair and asks to play? What do I look like? A toy?"_

"_I suppose that's a rhetorical question." Bridget half-whispered. _

"_What?"  
_

"_Nothing."_

"_You handle her." Jessica downright ordered as she started to leave._

"_Whoa," Bridget stood up. "Don't get too hasty." When she heard Jessica had stopped walking Bridget figured she could continue talking. "How am I suppose to look after a kid if I can't even look after myself. _

_Jessica scoffed. "You figure it out." With that said, the snobbish girl left the Bennett home. _

_Bridget pouted and crossed her arms. "Yeah well, we didn't need you anyway. Those kids are better at taking care of themselves than __**you**__ were." _

_Reality soon sunk in as Bridget groaned and covered her face. "I am in so much trouble," Bridget said through a muffled mouth. She felt a tug at her jeans and a little voice asking, "Play?"_

_With a sigh Bridget said, "Sure Sophie, I'm just having a nervous breakdown right now."_

_Laughter was heard. "You're silly."_

_Bridget smiled. "I'm still not sure where I get that from." She took the little girl's hand and walked inside. "Why don't I introduce you to a great writer called Mother Goose. She wrote some pretty good rhymes."_

* * *

"I Spy with my little eye…. something white."

Jack narrowed his blue eyes while scanning the horizon. "The fog."

Bridget 'oohed' "That's wrong."

"But everything out here is white." Jack motioned to all of the white fog their sleigh was surrounded in. Twenty minutes into flying again and the teenagers got bored with the lack of visuals to see. Playing 'I Spy' seemed like a good idea at the time with trying to figure out all of the do-dads in North's sleigh were and how they worked. But by the end of the 27th round all of the stuff in the sleigh was already spied.

"Not my fault." Bridget motioned with her hand.

Jack frowned. "Could you at least give me a hint?"

Bridget placed a finger under her chin as if she was in deep thought. "Nope."

"C'mon."

"Nuh-uh," Bridget shook her head.

"Just a little one."

"Sorry."

"I'm begging ya-" "Just give him a bloody clue!" Bunny just about had with their games.

"Bunny," Tooth soothed. "They're just playing."

"Fine I'll give you a clue." Bridget rolled her eyes at Bunny. "It's something white but in the sleigh."

"North's beard?"

"Nope. They're black streaks in it. So not completely white."

"My hair?" Jack grinned while ruffling his white locks.

Bridget blushed and turned away. "No."

"Oh," Tooth raised her hand. "Teeth!"

Bridget giggled. "No, sorry Tooth."

"Unpainted eggs?" Bunny suggested while holding a few.

"No."

Nightlight pondered for a few moments until he spot something. He pulled at Bridget's shoulder and pointed at the area he saw.

The redhead nodded. "Yep, it was Bunny's fluffy tail all along."

Bunny's green eyes widened, "What?" He looked at his tail and sighed as he did see his tail was indeed white…and fluffy.

Tooth tried to cover her laughing with her mouth. "She's right about that."

Bunny grumbled. "Yeah, yeah. It's a white tail."

"And fluffy!" Bridget added with a laugh.

The pooka muttered something before crossing him arms.

"Aww, don't get upset Bunny. I still think you're pretty neat."

"'Neat?'" Bunny raised an eyebrow. "I'm a lot more than neat."

"Yeah you're cool." Bridget admitted. "But I'm afraid Sandy's the most awesome."

The Guardian of Dreams, who was busy having his hands in the air, gave Bridget a thumbs up while he resumed his previous activity.

"Sandy?!" North bellowed. "**I** am the one that is most awesome."

Bridget shook her head with a smile. "Naw, Sandy can make anything out of his dreamsand and that's awesome."

Jack turned to Tooth asking, "And you're not objecting to what Bridget's saying because…?"

"Bridget told me earlier I'm exempted from the list because I'm on my own list of 'Awesome Female Guardian.'" The Mini-fairies cheered at the name and gave each other high-fives for…. some reason.

Jack eyed Bridget with annoyance. "That's both unfair and sexist."

Bridget stuck out her tongue at the winter spirit. "I can be unfair as much as I want and a **feminist** too." She gave the entire guy Guardians hard looks and continued, "Each of you is special and powerful in your own way. Is that what you'd prefer to hear?"

North stubbornly shook his head. "No. Vhat vas said cannot be unsaid."

Bridget sighed. _"Men." _She turned to Nightlight giving him a look of sympathy. "At least you don't look fazed by the whole 'awesome' thing."

Nightlight took out a sheet of paper and wrote something down. "I. Do. Not. Know. What. The. Word. Awesome. Means." Bridget's eyes widened. "Oh…never mind."

Nightlight noticed Bridget's distressed look and mentally called out his moonbeam friend for help. The little glowing orb saw the girl and went straight to work. It tugged at Bridget's hair until she started to laugh again and tried to hug the little thing. It didn't work because the orb was made of light and not of solid material.

"Nightlight you are on your own list too." The moonbeam brightened. Bridget giggled. "You are just so adorable." Bridget actually meant the moonbeam. But that's not what it sounded like to Jack.

The air soon became bitter as Bridget shivered. "Jack quit making it Arctic temperatures around here. We're flying over the Red Sea for Pete's sake."

"Why don't you ask Nightlight to do it?" Jack mockingly asked.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Bridget arched an eyebrow.

"Oh I think you know."

Bridget huffed. "Yeah I think I do."

Tooth and North perked with interest. Could this be a lov- "You're jealous of Nightlight's power."

Nope, not at all. Sigh.

"What?" Jack looked like she was crazy.

"Yeah," Bridget accused while pointing a finger at him. "You think you're better than him."

"No I don't!"

"Yes. You. Do!" Bridget poked Jack's chest as she uttered each word.

"No. I. Don't." Ice was starting to claw its way onto the edges of the sleigh.

"Uh…mates." Bunny eyed the ice with worry etched in his voice.

"WHAT?" Both of them glared at Bunny, making the seasoned warrior be taken back slightly.

"Ice is on the sleigh." Bunny said carefully while pointing at the frost that threatened to cover the sides of the sleigh.

Jack winced slightly and apologized. Within minutes the ice began to thaw away and not be seen again.

"Sorry about yelling at you." Jack said to Bridget a little while later.

The girl shook her head. "I shouldn't have accused you of being jealous."

Jack cracked a smile. "Well…"

"You were?" Bridget held back a smug look. "You didn't like Nightlight's power."

"No," Jack shook his hands. "I think his powers are amazing like the rest of the Guardians I just thought-" _"That you liked him." _Jack bit his tongue to hold that last part.

"Thought what?" Bridget spoke with curiosity.

"_Uh, is she really wanting me to say it out loud?" _

Jack sighed he opened his mouth-FWLOOSH! The sleigh jerked up into the air while its occupants fell to the rear.

"Sorry!" North yelled. "A plane flew by too close to sleigh and dodging it I did."

"_Perfect timing North." _Jack thought as he got back up.

"We should probably land the sleigh for the night anyway." Bunny warned. "With all this fog you might not miss the next one."

North nodded. "Yes, I think there is spot on ground vhere this no one else." He snapped the reins and the sleigh pulled down, gentler than the last landing.

"Weird it doesn't feel that cold anymore." Bridget mused while she climbed out of the sleigh.

"We're on sand." Bunny pointed out while examining the ground.

"Beach sand?" Jack asked with a hopeful tone with borderline worry.

"No desert." North answered as he took some logs out from the sleigh. He placed them on the ground and started a small fire. "Ve are Egypt, near Lake Nasser." He pointed near a direction and Bridget could see a large space of darkness she assumed was the water as the moon reflected upon it in an ominous manner.

Jack paled. "…Egypt?"

"Do not worry." North said with reassurance. "Ve'll leave this place before dawn and be up in cool air before blazing Sun comes in." He gave Jack a pat on the back and resumed with building the fire.

* * *

The fire was now much bigger than earlier thanks to all of the moonstones that were used to keep the fire in a close circle. North had learned this life-saving technique from Ombric during their many study sessions from the old days. Similar to how a river stone can be used to make rivers, Ombric also taught North that a few moonstones that fall from the orb in the sky can also make excellent fire starters if the right spell helps rekindle their dormant powers.

A warm Potato and Leek soup was brewing over the fire while most of the Guardians and Bridget waited for it to be fully cooked. Bridget insisted earlier while she might be the only one that needs food to live, she reasoned that they all will need the energy to confront the Morrígan. They agreed and a soup was made with food the villagers kindly bestow to them. It was also made from the only food that everyone would agree on eating together with half of them being strict vegetarians or otherwise.

"Here ve are," North poured soup into a bowl. "Soup that Мать vould make…at least if I knew who my Мать vas." He handed the bowl to Nightlight who nodded in thanks and blew on the soup before sipping up its contents. Sandy was guzzling his down with much gusto and was already back for seconds.

"Mmm, not too bad North," Bunny said. "Though it might need some carrots."

Tooth laughed while letting her Mini-fairies drink out of the bowl first. "You always say things like that…. Where's Bridget?"

North smiled, a glint shining in his eyes. "Ohh, Leetle Girl vent over to vhere Jack is I think."

The glint shined in Tooth's eyes as well. "Is that so?"

Nightlight rolled his eyes and wrote on a sketchpad he found in the sleigh earlier.

She went to give Jack his bowl of soup too.

"Oh, I know but a girl can dream, can't she? I didn't mean it like that Sandy!" The Sandman reluctantly put his ball of dreamsand down.

* * *

Bridget was indeed heading over to where Jack was sitting whilst carrying a bowl of very cooled down soup. Cool enough that there were no signs of warmth in the broth at all.

Jack was a good twenty feet away from the fire as he sat on a dune, staring wistfully at the moon. "You know, you could tell what's wrong with me." The moon stood silent. "I know you can hear me. You've got all of these people who know about you and even talked with you but why not me? Sure I'm grateful that I'm a Guardian now but you never said any of that to me. And now there's this girl involved and you obviously know her, even if she doesn't know you. But why? Why am I feeling this way?" His eyes pleaded to the moon. "Why do I get happy when she's smiling? Why do I get sad when she's feeling that way? Why do I get angry when she's with Nightlight?"

Bridget inched forward at a slower pace as she heard Jack talking. She noticed his body was in the direction of where the moon was and figured out whom he was speaking towards.

The moon remained silent while Jack continued, "I mean I think I know what is happening but I'm not sure if I like it…. or not. You have to have an answer to that."

"You know talking like that is going to make people think you talk to yourself." Bridget smiled.

Jack turned around fast to see Bridget and shook his head with a sigh. "I was trying to talk with the moon."

"I can see that," Bridget quickly remembered why she was there and held up the soup bowl properly. "This is for you. Your dinner I mean."

Jack got down from the sand dune and walked over. He took the bowl from her as their hands brushed for a second. Jack nearly jumped but remembered the soup and instead smiled awkwardly. Bridget coughed and thought her shoes look rather nice at the moment.

"Uhh, I hope the soup isn't too cold for you."

Jack chuckled, "If it wasn't I wouldn't go anywhere near it. I prefer cold things you know."

_"Stupid!" _Bridget smiled awkwardly, "Yeah...is that also the reason you're up here, away from the fire?"

The winter spirit nodded. "Yes, getting close to a fire can get me burned." He didn't noticed Bridget wincing at the last word.

"Listen I want to-" They both said at the same time. Their eyes widened a bit before they tried talking again.

"No you fir-" They spoke in unison once more before laughing.

Jack raised his hand to silence her. "Okay you go first."

Bridget scratched the back of her head. "But you wanted to say something too."

"Yeah but ladies first right?" Jack prayed that his face wasn't going violet again.

"_Whatta gentleman." _Bridget thought in a silly manner and hoped he didn't see her blushing. "Um, I want to apologize for yelling at you…back at the sleigh."

Jack arched an eyebrow in confusion. "But you already did."

"Yeah but I didn't think it was proper enough." Bridget frowned.

Jack chuckled. "Same with me."

Bridget's gray eyes widened, "You wanted to give a proper apology too?" "_Does this mean that he-"_

"Sure," Jack smiled. He realized he needed to explain why and she would want to know why he was upset. "Because…if Jamie found out about it, he wouldn't forgive me." _"Man, I am such a lair."_

"_Oh." _Bridget fought the urge to frown sadly. "That would be a good reason."

When he noticed how sad she sounded Jack quickly added. "But I didn't want you mad at me either."

The frown slowly turned back into a smile. "That's also a good reason."

A comfortable silence grew between them as the sky grew darker and more stars came out, one by one. The soup remained uneaten while the two sat on the dune, gazing at the sky.

"Wow," Bridget spoke up sometime later. "I cannot believe how many stars are up there." The sky twinkled with little dots glowing in all sorts of sizes.

"Yeah, there are a lot of them up there." Jack figured that was the most intelligent thing he could say.

"I just always had ideas what they looked like but this…is more than I could ever imagined." She brought her knees under her chin. "It almost makes you feel small. Like there really is somebody watching you." Bridget flourished her hand up in the air and smirked. "And turns out there is a guy watching us, inside the moon."

"A moon that's only 5000 years old." Jack remembered.

Bridget laughed. "Right. Must be really hard to say that on a first date. 'Hi there, I'm the Man in the Moon and what most people don't know is that I'm actually 5000 years old." Bridget attempted to sound like an older man. Even going as far as to making a whistling noise with each word with an 's.' "But hey at least that's younger than what people originally thought I was."

Both of them ended up laughing, unaware of the dark, inky, shadows creeping behind them in a slanted style.

Jack quieted down as he looked at Bridget softly. "I've never done stuff like this before. Talking with teenagers I mean."

Bridget titled her head. "Really not even when you…" She didn't want to finish the sentence.

"When I was still alive?" Jack offered with no sign of pain in his voice.

Bridget solemnly nodded.

"There were other teenagers around my age but I didn't always spend time with them." Jack stared over at the horizon. "Most of them were too busy growing up and didn't want to have fun. Sure it was the 1700s and the age expectancy was like '40,' but that didn't mean you couldn't play every once in a while."

Bridget nodded. "Yeah I can get that. Most teenagers these days are barely busy to do anything that would be considered fun anymore. And I like hanging out with kids too. Especially Jamie and his friends." Bridget smiled in nostalgia before adding. "They're probably the first I ever really spent time with."

"Why?"

Bridget bit her lower lip and shrugged. "I just didn't get to before, I guess."

"_There's more to the story." _Jack thought as he glanced at her. _"Maybe I can try asking her." _Before he could though a settling feeling pooled into Jack's insides.

"Ohh~!" Bridget called out, breaking Jack's concentration. "The soup fell." She pointed toward the beginning of the dune and the bowl on its side with the soup pouring out.

Jack mentally sighed. "I'll get it."

Bridget remained seated as Jack went down to get the bowl. _"Why do I have a feeling Jack was wanting to ask me something? Naw, I'm probably just over imagining-" _Bridget was silenced when a cold feeling engulfed her body.

Jack crouched down and scooped up the bowl with ease as he slowly began to turn around. "You know I wanted to ask if you…" Bridget was not there anymore. Jack's eyes widened in fear as he climbed back up. Once he was at the top he saw the imprint Bridget made while sitting in the sand and noticed right away of the telltale signs that there was a struggle.

His heartbeat quicken as Jack ran back to the others. He would've flown if it weren't for the lack of winds in the air. _"This is why I hate the desert!" _

"Guys," Jack shouted as he finally reached them. They were all asleep. "Guys! Something's wrong. Bridget's gone." None of them stirred or even flinched. Sighing in frustration Jack went over to North and shook his side. "Get up! Didn't you hear-"

"Me…" Jack gasped when North did not wake up. He lifted an eyelid of the Russian and still nothing. Jack immediately placed his head on North's chest and breathed a sigh of relief when he heard a heartbeat. _"Thank the moon." _

He looked around and saw they all were in the same state of unconsciousness, appearing as though they were dead. He checked Bunny's, Tooth's, Sandy's, and (begrudgingly) Nightlight's heartbeats and was glad to know they were all right. But one question remained unanswered.

"What happened to you guys?" Jack felt a glow on himself and it gave him a feeling of hope. The light came from Nightlight's staff dagger with the moonbeam inside. The light kept flickering as Jack crept closer to it. Near the dagger the sketchbook Nightlight was using earlier laid beside it. Jack skimmed through the open page. His eyes widened in horror. He almost forgot to grab his staff before running back to where Bridget vanished.

The sketchbook lay open with the words Jack read. They were written in a childish form of writing.

This soup tastes a little odd North…

Reminds me of the taste of plants Dream Pirates use to drug parents…. in order to 

kidnap children under their noses…

…. WE MUST GO GET JACK AND BRID-

Nothing else was written after those ominous words. No other words were needed.

* * *

**Q-A: **God I feel awful for getting this done on Sunday but uploading on Monday. DX I was too busy reading the _Guardians of Childhood _books I bought on my iPad. XP I'm SO sorry! I'M A HORRIBLE HUMAN BEING! This is my first 2-parter in the story and I hope this will lead you to wanting more. And with it being Spring Break for I might just update sooner and this chapter being shorter than the last one! :D Let's be hopeful. And it'll be my way of saying sorry for uploading for a day late. Okay I'm done with my pity party, now with praising myself. XD Just kidding.

Gosh the response I've getting from all of you is just so kind! O; I don't know what to say. Just THANKS! It makes me as happy as the review from this_** Julia Lost**_ person and…I nearly cried. Now I know how Jack felt when was first believed in. (; Your reviews are my belief guys so thank you once more!

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	14. Burn Away: Part 2

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters are mine (except Bridget). A few of the lines in this chapter also belong to **The Greater God of Moonbots!** All of the movie and book references belong to DreamWorks and **The Greater God of Moonbots!** XD (From the previous chapter you should know who I meant.)

* * *

_~Burn Away: Part 2~_

With the every growing mental list of 'Odd-moments-and-people-that-keep-on-kidnapping-me ' it would seem Bridget had seen everything. Being kidnapped by Jack Frost, then a couple of yetis, and now, apparently, the Smoke Monster from _LOST _(Don't ask how she knows that reference, it's basic teenage knowledge by this point in time. Even blind people know the joke) made the list of very odd people.

What she didn't expect (along with the sudden kidnapping) was how smelly the bag she was shoved into. Yes, the Smoke Monster kidnaps people with bags now and had dragged the poor girl to who knows where.

Eventually the bag Bridget was inside of stopped moving and landed on a semi-solid ground. Bridget jerked her head slightly so her egg glasses were properly on her nose again and craned her head ever so slightly to see the light coming out of the bag. She could see the sky so that meant Bridget was still outside but where she was became the big question. Strangely enough Bridget could hear whispering. But the whispers sounded nothing like the normal ones she heard people say behind her back. Only these were much more…animalistic, like they weren't human at all.

"Get her out," a wheezy voice spoke. Bridget felt a harsh pull on her braid as she cried out in pain. The sack no longer entombed her as Bridget got a better look of her surroundings.

She was on a sailing ship. The kind that Bridget imagined was used during the old days of pirates. But unlike those magnificent vessels that held great awesome design and beauty, the one Bridget found herself in was made from a very sickening source. A ship made up of black sand. Black sand that continued molding and moving, always shifting, never stopping. Despite the grand size and detail the ship casted a dark shadow of despair and poignant. These feelings grew when Bridget took a hold of the beings that had captured her.

These creatures were not human, or of any physical being Bridget could not fathom. They looked like the scary shadows children would be afraid of catching up with them at night. They had eyes that were gold, but not the same warm, welcoming gold the Sandman's eyes were. These were the soulless eyes that did not crave sunlight or any warm goodness in general.

Bridget wanted to inch away but she backed into a wall and could not move any further. Realizing how much trouble she was in Bridget felt her heartbeats quicken and her breath hitching to every bang in her heart. This seemed to excite the creatures as they crawled closer to the redhead. Her eyes widened in fear and by each passing second she regretted ever mentioning the soup tipping over the dune back in the desert.

"_If only I just let Jack say what he wanted to ask, I wouldn't be in this-this horror show." _Bridget bit her lip so hard that she almost drew blood. With no lip balm her lips became very dry and rough over the past few days. Bridget forced herself as close to the hardened sand wall as humanly possible and closed her eyes, wishing for this awful nightmare to be over.

"Stay back you. Let me pass," a new loud voice rung out over the sound of the dark whispers of the shadows. Bridget opened her eyes to see the shadow creatures part like the Red Sea and stepped aside to let a more formed figure pass. It was stout little man wearing the standard pirate outfit with it all being gray in contrast to the shadow creatures behind him. The color had the appearance of dull silver though when the moon gleamed down on the ship and most of its occupants darted into the further parts of the ship that was still dark.

"Get back 'ere you cowardly bilge rats." The man scowled, showing a row of crooked teeth that would've made Toothiana cringe at the grisly. "Jus' a bit o' moon~light. Nothing else." He turned his attention back to Bridget and rubbed his hands energetically. The man gave Bridget a smile that held no good intentions as he spoke, "It's good to have you aboard with us, Poppet." He bowed in mockery as clouds covered the moon and the shadows inched toward the two once more. He took his hat off and smiled sinisterly before adding, "My Fearling crew and I have not had a guest on our ship in a long time."

The whispering grew louder that it almost made Bridget cover her ears. She decided it was best to keep her cool and breathed in and out slowly. "Is that so?" Bridget did her best to keep her voice steady. "I can't imagine why with all of your...nice ways of bringing somebody here. I'd think everybody would feel welcomed."

The captain's smiled lessened slightly but was still painfully tacked on his face. "All the better to get your dreams of course."

Bridget's fear soon turned into confusion. "Dreams?"

"Aye, who do you think we are? I and my Fearlings are the last of the Dream Pirates in the known universe." The whispering turned into jubilant hisses.

Bridget paled in fear as she remembered the warnings Ombric gave her and the Guardians before they left for Ireland. He told them of rumored Dream Pirates that supposedly still lingered on Earth after Pitch Black's Galleon was struck down millennia ago. Jack Frost asked what were Dream Pirates exactly and Ombric said they took the dreams of children. Bridget had snickered at the answer, finding the idea rather silly. It was until Ombric explained **how** Dream Pirates acquired the dreams of children that she got what made Dream Pirates so awful.

When children slumbered peacefully in their homes the Dream Pirates would sneak in with the use of the Fearlings. They would put a sleeping drought called Nightshade into parents drinks. The plant was colorless and odorless and could be placed inside any drink or liquid without the adult's notice. With the Fearlings' ability to sneak without being heard added to their advantage. Once the drought would knockout the parents, the pirates and Fearlings would steal into the child's room and take him or her away into the Dream Pirates' ship where they would never be seen again.

Bridget had felt pain in her heart after hearing Ombric's warning. She had originally thought that Dream Pirates were a lot like the Japanese _Baku_ or Dreameaters she read about. She thought they would simply take away dreams, both the good and the bad, to eat and leave. Dream Pirates were much worse. They took children away, for who knows what for their dreams, and do whatever to the children.

"Dream Pirates…" Bridget swallowed.

The Dream Pirate Captain nodded. "Aye and we are going to take your dreams."

Bridget was whiter than Jack. "Why-why would you want to do that?" She tried excruciatingly to sound like she wasn't whimpering.

"Because it's been a long time since there's been a believer with young-but nearing old-blood such as yerself, Poppet."

"Could you quit calling me that?" Bridget snapped. A long sword that was a hair's breadth from her neck immediately silenced the next words she was about to say. The sword was dull like the captain's armor and showed no gorgeous gleam like the sabers North possessed.

The captain smirked devilishly when he noticed the girl's scared face. "Nice blade eh? Made from the finest lead found at the Earth's core!" He assumed the lass would be far more fearful of him now.

Bridget stared at the Dream Pirate blankly. "You do know there are better metals, or minerals for that matter, to use for a sword right." _"Shut up! You might give this moron ideas!" _Bridget's conscience yelled.

The Dream Pirate Captain scowled. "O' course I know 'bout other metals. But none of them are like lead. Lead from the core has been there since the Earth was formed, ya see." He stroked the blade with outmost care. "It has never known light-of any kind-so no light-not even the Spectral Boy's-" The Fearlings hissed at the name-"light can go through it. It absorbs the light. The same goes for me armor too." He banged on the chest plate, leaving an empty hallow sound echoing through the metal.

Bridget blinked a few times and smiled awkwardly. This guy was more boastful than scary.

"O~kay," she lifted a finger, pushing the sword away slightly without the captain noticing its change of direction. "So the only thing I really need to worry about is lead poisoning right now. And since that's the only thing that's really a threat here why don't I go for now until you find out a more…threatening way to torture someone."

Bridget tried to get until a dozen more lead swords pointed toward her face. The Fearlings and their captain glowered at their prisoner, not showing any signs of wanting their new prize to escape.

"Where do ye think yer goin' Poppet?"

Bridget smiled and replied bashfully, "Uhh, the bathroom?"

The swords were pushed even closer to her and made her inched further into the sandy wall. The captain tut-tut'ed the girl as he wagged his dirty finger at her face, "Yer not goin' anywhere, lass. It's been a long time since I had a Fearling yer size in my crew."

Confusion plastered on Bridget's face. "What do you mean 'a Fearling yer size?' Fearlings are made out of darkness and bad stuff."

The snickering captain shook his head. "No Poppet, Fearlings are people." The Fearlings no longer hissed and were instead making sounds almost similar to dark laughter.

Bridget's eyebrows furrowed. "Fearlings...are people?"

The captain nodded unaware of the girl's expression. "Not just any people. They are children."

"Children?" Bridget's tone was abnormally even.

"Aye, all of these Fearlings were once children from the Golden Age that were turned into these beasts thanks to the Nightmare King." The captain happily sneered. "I helped of course."

Bridget's breathing hitched slightly as her eyes hardened. "And you?"

"I am nothing more then the last Nightmare Man in existence. All o' my brothers were lost thanks to them damned Guardians. But when you join my crew, I'll have more power then before."

Bridget said nothing while the Fearlings mindlessly cheered their captor. A strong heat grew inside her as her eyes appeared more like melted silver than gray.

* * *

"WIND!" Jack Frost landed into the sand unceremoniously while its contents were shoved into his mouth. Jack groaned in frustration as he picked himself up and grabbed his staff. He brushed some leftover sand while he stared at the cloud-covered moon. "I'm not sure who's fault this is but I don't think getting Bridget kidnapped was part of your plan right?"

He tried looking for Bridget everywhere he could on the ground. With there virtually being no wind Jack could not fly to get better ground or see where Bridget and her kidnappers went off to. All he could find over the sand dune was the signs of Bridget struggling through the ground and that was it.

With no other ideas forming in his head, Jack sat down near the coastline. Jack cursed under his breath before someone else joined him near his side. One of the reindeer stood near the winter spirit. The deer's hooves clamored on the sand, thumping loudly to get the Guardian's attention.

Jack looked over to see the reindeer and groaned once again. _"Great, the reindeer got loose again."_

The reindeer jerked its head and used its nose to shove the stubborn spirit's shoulder. "Hey, watch it, Comet." Jack warned.

The reindeer exhaled through the nose, bring out a small gust of air through his nostrils. He adjusted his front hooves as if trying to get Jack's attention. Jack looked up, saw the deer's harness with gold plaiting and realized there was a name on the inscription. The deer was trying to correct Jack.

"Sorry," Jack squinted while reading the nameplate. "**Petrov**. What kind of name is that?"

The deer's eyes flared and he snorted once more and trotted his front hooves. The translation was: _A good name._

"_Smart aleck." _Jack frowned at the four-legged animal. "Look I have no time to feed you. I need to go save Bridget but I have idea-" Petrov started to jerk his head and raised his hooves off the ground like he was pointing at the sky.

Jack looked up in the sky and much to his surprise saw a black object floating in the sky. It was a ship that looked a lot like the sailing ships pirates use to sail on. Of course Jack knew what those looked like having seeing them in action a few centuries back.

"Those gotta be where Bridget is." Jack grinned as he got up and griped his crook staff. His smile melted away when he remembered his predicament. "I still can't fly though."

Petrov made a whining noise and oddly enough seemingly rolled his eyes. He grabbed Jack's hood with his teeth and swung the Guardian like a rag doll over his back. "Hey what the-" Petrov squealed and kicked his hooves up in the air before charging through the sand. Jack clung on the deer's neck, desperately trying not to fall off, as the Lake Nasser grew closer to his vision.

"Uhh, you do know there's water up ahead right?" Jack pointed out to the reindeer. Petrov showed no signs of slowing down as he galloped closer to the water. "Okay you can slow down now."

They were twenty yards away from the water.

"Anytime now."

Fifthteen yards.

"You can turn the other way now."

Twelve yards.

"How about now? Now sounds good?"

Five yards.

"_I know I like going to the beach to try and freeze the waves, but this is ridiculous!" _Jack winced as he closed his eyes, awaiting the incoming splash from the water. _"Man this is gonna hurt."_

Petrov smirked, thinking Jack had enough torture and jumped up into the open air, just before his hooves could have grazed the water. Jack took a peak and sighed in relief. He soon heard what sounded like laughing, if reindeer could laugh that is. He glared at the caribou. "Can we keep the near death experiences to a minimum, thank you."

Petrov rolled his eyes as he continued pounding his hooves in the air while flying closer to the dark galleon. Both he and Jack noticed a small glow coming from the ship. The deer and winter spirit held looks of apprehension as the glow became clearer. Fire was on the ship.

Feelings of fear for both him and Bridget swelled in Jack's heart. If he went anywhere near the fire it would do a lot more than give him sunburn. But if he didn't go in, Bridget would end up-No, he wasn't even going to finish that. For Bridget's sake, Jack decided to throw logic out of the window. He was going in there whether he liked it or not.

Petrov possessed the same will as his rider and circled around the ship, hoping to find the sweet apple-smelling girl and get her back with his master and the other Guardians. Since their trip began Petrov could sense the bi-pedal beings had developed a strong bond with the apple-haired girl. His animal instincts were as accurate as his master's predictions through his stomach. Petrov smelled the flames a mile away and knew something was wrong. The small fire that was growing inside the ship was escalating into something bigger.

Deciding to take the plunge, Jack gripped his staff and twisted in the air before diving. Much to his relief the wind was cooperating again and Jack floated near the ship with Petrov near his side.

"Go back and try to wake up the others." Jack ordered to the reindeer. Petrov gave Jack a concern look and snorted slightly as if he was nervous to leave the winter spirit alone. "I'll be fine. I've handled things much worse than this. Go and get the others."

Petrov gave an exasperated nod and flew away in a canter. He looked back once with eyes that said, _I hope you know what you're doing kid._

Jack sighed. _"I hope I know I what I'm doing too."_ After taking a deep breath Jack began to fly down near the ship.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU-YOU **MONSTER!" **Jack jerked back slightly when he heard a slimy voice shout through the heavens.

The yell nearly threw Jack off guard as he peered down to where it came from. On the black nightmarish ship's deck a small little man was backing away from a shadowy mass. He yelped in alarm when a fireball almost hit him and he scrambled away. Dozens of Fearlings dodged the attacks effortlessly while scaling the walls of the ship. The little man attempted to do that but failed to grasp any the sidewalls properly.

"I'm a monster?" A familiar voice spoke with anger. "I'm not the one who kidnaps children and forces them into what's basically slavery. I don't work for bastards like Pitch and-"

"Bridget?" Jack landed on the side of the port. His eyes filled with mixed emotions, unsure on how to properly react to what he was seeing.

The redhead's fury was stopped abruptly by the mere whispering of her name. The flames in Bridget's hand diminished as did the rest of the fire that surrounded her. It was only then did Bridget realize what she had done. The sides of her body stiffened while she wrapped her arms around her. Bridget's breathing hitched slightly when she turned to see Jack's shocked expression. He saw it. He saw her using her powers.

The captain ceased wincing when he realized there weren't any flames trying to eat up his lead suit like they did on the rest of the lead swords minutes before. When he noticed the fiery menace had ceased preying on him the captain smirked while he took out a hidden blade. He was not going to be losing his ship to a monster like her anytime soon.

He brought out the knife and charged at the distracted girl and bellowed a battle cry. Three seconds later he became an ice sculpture and toppled over.

Jack lowered his staff, recently spent from the blast of ice, and rested it on the port. He walked slowly toward Bridget with intentions to help her in anyway possible.

Bridget had felt her knees buckled and fell down. So many thoughts swarmed in her mind while she wanted was for them to go away and quit plaguing her. A small pressure emerged on Bridget's shoulder. She instinctively jumped up, her body put under a defensive position.

Jack backed away slightly, giving the crazed-eyed redhead as much space as she must've wanted. When Bridget saw Jack step back small tears formed in her eyes.

_"Of course he would back off,"_ Bridget thought. She just made fire come out of her hands.

No one ever wanted to be near her after that. All she ever did was hurt people with it. Hot tears ran down her face as they dripped all over her pants.

"Bridget," Jack spoke softly, not wanting to upset her more. He knelt down to Bridget's side looked at her with sympathetic eyes. He touched her shoulder again, giving it a soft nudge. "Bridget, you have to talk with me."

"…reak," Jack heard Bridget croak.

"What?"

"Fire Freak!" Bridget shouted with tear-stained eyes. "That's what they always called me. And a monster." She hung her head low while hugging herself.

Jack sat on his knees while he inched closer toward Bridget. Her apple and cinnamon scent was blocked by the smoke around them, the edges of her sleeves were burnt, and the tips of her bangs were scorched.

The Guardian of Fun had the urge to brush those burnt bangs away but decided against it. Instead he tried to calm her down. "What that Nightmare Man said to you isn't true, Bridget. You're not a monster."

"Yes. I. **Am**." Bridget seethed through her teeth. "All my life that is what they called me."

Jack creased his eyebrows in confusion. "Who?"

"EVERYONE!" Bridget inhaled a sharp breath and exhaled deeply. This cycle continued for a few more minutes as the fires around the two slowly started to die down. "As long as I could remember, I've had these powers. Whenever I got angry or scared they use to come out of my hands." Bridget rubbed her hands in dejection. She noticed that the edges of her coat were burnt thanks to the fire. She sighed.

"When did it start?" Jack asked in a gentle manner.

Bridget breathed out, her face feeling sore from all of the crying she did. She rubbed her face to remove any lingering tears and began her story.

* * *

_It was raining outside, turning the snow on the ground into gray slush. The hospital room was hardly any warmer than it was outside. The sheets Bridget lay in were stiff and scratchy. It was almost as uncomfortable as the cast she wore on her head. The doctors told her not to touch it. The order was very hard for the 8-year-old to fallow whenever her head started to itch and there was nothing she could do about it. All around her the redhead heard doctors and nurses passing through the hall near her room. The whole place felt like sickness was in the air. Bridget didn't have to see to know how unpleasant the space was._

* * *

"I spent a whole year at that hospital." Bridget spoke in remembrance. "Trying to relearn how to read."

* * *

_A new scene showed young Bridget, with no cast on anymore, practicing her Braille reading._

* * *

"It was difficult at first but after a while I learned how to get the hang of it."

* * *

_The young Bridget sighed happily after reading _The Frog Prince_ story and placed it down on a pile with twenty other books on her bed sheets before grabbing a new one on her lamp desk. _

* * *

"I loved reading stories about fantasy and faraway places the most. They almost made me forget that I was sitting in a stuffy room with no one to talk with."

* * *

_Bridget stuck her tongue out while she tried to blindly reach out for a new book. She sighed sadly when she couldn't feel anymore._

"_Miss Bridget." Bridget turned to her right where the door of the room she was in was. A nurse stood by the door with a cardboard box in her arms. "Two nice old ladies came in with some books to donate for the hospital and I noticed that most of them were in Braille. I had a feeling you would like to read them."_

_Bridget stared blankly. Not entirely sure if where she was staring at was the spot where the nurse was. A thump was heard and Bridget felt a slight weight on the mattress. She assumed the nurse left the books on bed. When she heard the door close Bridget scrambled over to where she felt the pressure on her bed and pulled out the first book she could find. _

_The redhead smiled as she thumbed the cover of the book. She knew she couldn't see the cover but she did like to imagine what it might be after learning the title of a book._

_One time she read the story of _Cinderella_ and she would see an image in her head of a beautiful girl running down a winding staircase while she lost a glass slipper. Cinderella's carriage was slowly turning into a pumpkin before her eyes and her prince was less than an inch away and couldn't grasp her gloved hand in time. _

_Bridget rubbed her hands over the cover and her brows scrunched in confusion. The title of the book was _'Mother Goose and Friends: Stories from Far, Far Away.' _A rather odd title but it was a book none of the less. Deciding to give herself the benefit of the doubt Bridget opened up the page._

_Of course you know these fairytales._ - _Uh no, Bridget didn't because this was her first time reading the book. She almost wanted to close the book there and then, thinking it was going to be like one of those parody books of fairytales she remembered reading by accident. But before Bridget could push it away something inside her told her to keep reading. Bridget decided to give the book another chance and continued reading._

_You've known them since before you can remember__ -Yeah, Bridget wished that was true-__and you'll know them till your memories are like twilight. These are the written works of Mother Goose._

_Page after page held many colorful nursery rhymes that made Bridget forget everything except the wonderful stories she read over and over again. She laughed while reading the story of a cow that could jump higher than the sky. She cried when reading of the tragic end of the living egg sitting on his wall. She had mixed feelings of the siblings who tried to find a pail of water. She was in debate over whether they ran up the hill or walked slowly. If they ran, then falling down would've been inevitable. If they walked slowly, then they must have tripped. _

_Honestly why would anyone write rhymes that could make such confusion for the reader?_

_Eventually Bridget found some stories that didn't give her much puzzlement._

_Did you ever wonder how Mother Goose found these collections? What if I was to tell you she gained a few of them from her friend from the north, Santa Claus.__ -"Santa Claus?" That's odd name. _

_He is a jolly old man with a heart of gold. Fierce, demanding, and impulsive, everything about him is larger than life. For Santa Claus, nothing is impossible as long as he believes in it. This belief helps him deliver presents to all of the good girls and boys of the world every Christmas._

"_Wow," a small smile grew on Bridget's face. This Santa guy sounded like he was so kind and nice, not to mention pretty cool._

* * *

"One book became my favorite out of the rest. This one told me of far off places where people with dreams could make things happen. Not only was North mentioned in it but so was Sandy, Tooth, Bunny, and even you too Jack."

* * *

_Now there are many stories of boys who fly around and never grow up but I'm afraid to tell you most of them are not true…with the exception of Jack Frost of course. With the help from his magic staff, he can call and ride the wind, float like a snowflake, conjure ice and snow, freeze objects or even people solid with a mere wave of his staff, make images drawn on frosted window panes come to life, and spread the feelings of fun and joy with his specialty: snowballs._

_Bridget couldn't help but laugh at the powers this strange winter boy possessed. He must've had a lot of fun with all that snow and getting to go outside and play. Something she was never allowed to do. _

_But with great power also came great sacrifice. Jack Frost would live a long time not having anyone but himself._

_What? _

_Like the rest of these legendaries, they would be forever isolated from the outside world and never truly feel like they belonged._

"_Just like me." Bridget thought aloud while wiping a tear away. _

_But they were united under one cause..._

_This perked Bridget's interest. She carried on with reading and smiled at the words the book wrote for her._

* * *

"Reading was all I ever did in the hospital. It helped me feel better and in a year later I was ready to take on the world. Too bad the world wasn't ready for me."

* * *

_The scene dissolved into a crowded school hallway with a slightly older Bridget walked with her long cane in front._

* * *

"Learning how to read in Braille was difficult. Learning how to not bump into things was a challenge but they were simple trails compared to what I faced in school."

* * *

_Bridget felt people forcefully push and nudge her while passing through the halls to her next class. One pushed her hard enough that she dropped a few of her books and had no choice but to pick them up by herself._

* * *

"Because I joined the school year a little late, due to my physical therapy, I never got the chance to make any new friends. All of the groups were formed by the time I was enrolled. But that wasn't the only problem."

* * *

_A scene shifted and the 9-year-old Bridget was shown again only she was outside in a playground and being pushed into a wall._

* * *

"All I knew about having fun was reading. So I didn't know how to play all of the outdoor games kids my age were suppose to play. And being blind wasn't much of a help either since I couldn't catch a ball or run around without tripping. I was also a bit of a nerd for knowing the answers to a lot of questions."

* * *

"_You're such a Teacher's Pet!" A freckled girl shouted while her friends backed her up with their own retorts._

_Bridget winced from the impact of the brick wall and growled, "Why don't you just leave me alone? I've done nothing to you guys."_

"_That's why we hate you." Those words stung Bridget like a thorn. "You're such a goody-two-shoes. Kissing up to the teacher and making us look bad. You don't even play with us at recess."_

"_That's because I'm blind." Bridget defended herself. "And I don't kiss up to our teacher. I'm only asking her questions. S'not my fault I get most of the quizzes we get right._

"_So you think you're better than us?" The freckled girl accused. _

"_I do not!" Bridget cried out, her anger reaching a boiling point._

_The freckled girl grabbed Bridget's arm. "You need to be taught a lesson."_

_Fire spread all across Bridget's captured arm. "Leave. Me. ALONE!" With newfound strength Bridget pushed her bully away, causing her to knock over her followers like bowling pins. _

_The freckled girl yelled in pain before seeing her burned arm. "You hurt me!"_

_Reality sunk in when Bridget realized what happened. "I what-"_

"_You burned my arm you-you **monster**!"_

_Bridget winced while she shoulders shook. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"_

"_Get away from her you **fire freak**!" One of the freckled girl's friends shoved Bridget to the ground. _

_Bridget shivered on the ground as she wrapped her arms over her legs. "I'm not a freak," the redhead repeated to herself over and over again until school ended._

* * *

"Because there were no teachers to see what had happened no one was able to explain what really occurred. But I knew. I knew what I did to that girl. She ended up with third degree burns because of me."

* * *

"_We can't keep someone like her in our household!" A man shouted to his wife. "What would the neighbors think?"_

"_Well what do you want me to do John? Just send her back to foster care?" The woman shouted back._

_Bridget sat on the staircase near the living room while the couple was in the kitchen, unaware of their ward listening to every word. A few hours had passed since the incident at school and Bridget's foster parents weren't pleased to have heard of this on the phone._

* * *

"The people who took me in didn't understand what happened and I didn't know how to explain it. I was sent away after the reputation I gained at school and adults all around me didn't want to be near a pyromaniac. So the never-ending chain of foster home jumping commenced."

* * *

_More memories were shown of Bridget getting picked on and her fighting back with more fire coming out of hands. More adults were seen shouting at Bridget. Screaming as to what she did and why. Bridget didn't know how to answer because she didn't __**see **__what happened. _

_For months passed and Bridget went through the same experiences at every town she moved into. Schools with bullies, foster parents who didn't understand, and in the end everyone ended up being scared of her and kept their distance._

* * *

"Wherever I went I never found anyone who understood my…condition. In an effort to try to have a normal life as possible I decided to do what I thought was best; I began to lock up my powers."

* * *

_A new scene showed a 10-year-old Bridget outside at a rest stop with her sitting by a tree. She breathed in and out gently while her hands were half-closed._

* * *

"I learned my fire only came out whenever I got scared or angry."

* * *

_The memory Bridget scrunched up her face like she was upset. In a second a small flame appeared on her palm. Bridget yelped in alarm but not from the heat. It actually felt warm on her hand but not like a burning sensation more like the feeling of water on your hand but it being warm instead. Once she remembered what she was supposed to do Bridget took a deep breath and her face became calm._

* * *

"I figured if I kept my emotions from coming out too strongly I was able to not let any fire come out."

"That didn't sound like a smart plan." Jack spoke up for once.

"Yeah I know but I was like twelve when I came up with it and didn't think of the consequences."

"Consequences?"

"Yes…they came."

* * *

_Seasons changed around Bridget as her façade remained on her face. She didn't get close to people at school and they didn't bother her. She wasn't very close to the foster families she was put with and they didn't know why._

* * *

"Because I masked my true emotions the foster families I lived with thought I was being anti-social. They must've felt I wasn't a good influence for their children if I lived with families who had them. But I never did. I loved being with younger kids because they never judged me and it was easier to hang out with them for that reason. I just could never connect with people my age or older than me for the most part. Probably because I spent my early years reading stories meant for children."

* * *

"_She just never talks to us. It's not that she's a bad child but she's not very responsive." A woman spoke on the phone talking with Bridget's social worker. "I've also heard these rumors about Bridget being a pyromaniac." Bridget winced from her hiding spot behind the hallway where the woman stood. "I'm not really sure if we can keep her around anymore."_

_Bridget sighed, as if she was use to hearing that and walked away to where her room was._

* * *

"This kept going on for the next few years later on. My social worker just about had it."

* * *

_Bradley Connor, a middle-aged man with pepper and salt-like hair, was pacing back and forth in his office while a 16-year-old Bridget sat in a chair in front of his desk. _

"_Look Bridget, we've been at this for months now, years even." Brad sighed while rubbing his face. "You need to stop this-this I'm not even sure what to call it."_

"_I'm not causing any trouble am I?" Bridget shrugged. "I haven't had a…fire problem since I was around 10."_

"_Well at least then you were emotional." Brad muttered under his breath._

"_What?" Bridget almost got up._

"_Nothing," Brad raised his tone slightly. "Nothing." He decided to change the conversation toward a different direction. "We just need to work on finding a new family for you."_

_Bridget gave Brad a blank look. "Brad, I'm 16. No one's gonna be interested to take in a 'troubled teen' like me."_

_Brad gave her a funny look. "Who called you that."  
_

_The redhead no longer held a look of indifference and instead one of embitterment. "You did."_

_Months passed Bridget was no longer the young girl anymore and now looked more like the one that everyone was most familiar with. Her red hair was in a long braid and she wore the clothes that she would be well known in. The tear-shaped scars, under her eyes, still showed a dull pale unlike the rest of her soft skin._

* * *

"Things started to turn up one day after I learn I had to leave another family again. Yeah, you heard it, right after I lost another family I got the news that changed everything."

* * *

_She was in Brad's office again but this time with some news that he claimed should make her very happy. She had flown all the way from Chicago at the near end of May. Any news from Brad could cheer her up._

_A door was heard opening. Bridget craned her head, knowing it was Brad due to the slight pausing he does whenever he walks. "I've got some good news." Oh, Brad really? Bridget wouldn't have guessed. _

"_I just got a call from an old collogue of mine."_

_Bridget stifled a sigh. "Is this person taking over as my handler now?" Bridget figured by now Brad would've not wanted her anymore like everyone else._

"_No, and I'm not your 'handler.'" Brad rolled his eyes. "Her name is Carol Bennett. And she has heard about you."_

_Bridget's knuckles tightened on the armrest. "Does she know about-"_

"_She's aware that you had a problem in the past," Brad quickly added. "And she offered for you to stay with her for your final year of high school."_

_Bridget raised an eyebrow in confusion. "She's…willingly offering me to live with her?"_

"_And her two children."_

_The redhead frowned slightly. "She has kids?" Bridget shook her head. "Then it might not work."_

"_What? But I thought you liked-"_

"_I __**do **__like kids but usually the families with kids I stay with never end well." The memories of the Fire Freak incidents replayed in her mind. _

"_This time it'll be different." Brad promised. "The town that Mrs. Bennett lives in is called Burgess. It's in Pennsylvania and is a very small town. It doesn't even have a mall. Nobody, besides Carol, should know who you are."_

* * *

"I was unsure how to think over the offer. I thought over the consequences that could occur. I mulled over any possible 'what if's' that could occur. But before I could make a final decision, Bard said something else."

* * *

"_Carol just called and she's on the phone right now. She wants to talk with you."_

_Bridget said nothing while clasping the phone and placed it near her ear._

* * *

"I spent the rest of the day talking with Carol. She told me all about Burgess and the people there and that no one would bother me there. It was safe to say I decided a few days later that going to Burgess wouldn't be a bad idea."

* * *

Bridget still had her knees close to her while Jack sat with her, his eyes full of consideration. They had not left the spot where Bridget fell to her knees since the fires died down and were nothing more than small smoldering areas that brought out smoke.

"So for a while things were okay for me. Living in Burgess almost felt like something out of someone else's life. I was still blind but no one bothered me. Though this one girl named Jessica-but that's another story. The point was that I never got too emotional and burned anything because of it." She frowned before adding, "It was until the whole mission-quest thing of ours started that my emotions began to run around."

Bridget smiled ruefully before asking Jack, "Do you remember when you asked about my cane having a flame-thrower attached to it in Siberia?"

"_Right before we fell." _Jack remembered. "That wasn't fire from a flame-thrower." He said it as a statement not a question.

Bridget nodded, "That was me. It's just-when those birds were flying around us and the wind was blowing and I couldn't hear anything-I got scared that y-we'd get hurt and I just shot fire out of my hands." She breathed a hallow breath while he voice slowly became coarse. "I totally blew seven years of holding back my emotions until I met you…and the others."

Jack's eyes softened. He placed a hand on Bridget's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"It was after the flame-thrower incident, I tried to keep my emotions down after that. I had a close call with Mother Nature though. I swear she must've known something about by powers." Bridget felt tears trying to fall down her face. "She was right. Something will go wrong…and it'll be my fault."

Jack's eyes widen in horror while he shook his head. "No, no! It's not." Jack grasped both of Bridget's shoulders. "Look at me, you are not a monster, you would never hurt a fly and you're **not **going to do anything wrong."

"How do you know?" Bridget interjected. "If you didn't come any sooner I might've-" a large sob escaped her throat as she failed to stop the tears from falling. Her shoulders didn't stop shaking her whole body shook violently.

Jack felt his heart skip a beat, seeing someone in that state was unsettling and quite unbearable. Not knowing what else to do Jack slowly moved his hands from Bridget's shoulders to her back. When she showed no signs of protest Jack wrapped his arms around her waist, comforting her in the best way he knew how.

Under different circumstances Bridget would've pushed Jack away and run off with a blushing face but she didn't have the energy to do it. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around Jack's waist. The scent of pine trees and cold wintery air was what Bridget inhaled with each breath.

"Those Fearlings were once children, Jack," Bridget explained through sobs. "That monster, Pitch, turned them into his minions." Jack felt resentment fill his heart at this revelation. "The Nightmare Man captain kept boasting how powerful he was and promised to turn me into a Fearling too." The winter spirit's grasp on Bridget stiffened. He should've shattered that lowlife into a million pieces. "I just got so angry with him, Pitch, and myself for getting captured so easily. I was blinded with rage I just wanted to burn everything."

Bridget pulled herself away from Jack slightly before looking him directly. "But I don't think I could have done it-Killing the Nightmare Man I mean. But another part of my mind didn't want me to stop." Bridget's eyes watered again. "If you didn't come sooner…" Her face crumpled and she brought herself in Jack's embrace again.

"It's okay," Jack soothed while rubbing Bridget's back in small circles. "Everything's going to be okay."

Bridget hiccupped, her throat spasms worsening with each passing second. A moment later and Bridget felt something soft on her forehead.

"_A kiss…"_

Her breathing hitched from the shock and her grip on Jack loosened slightly but not unfastened so that there was still an embrace between them. The redhead could feel her brain turned to jelly, then solidified again.

A few minutes passed by in a comfortable silence that was only interrupted by Bridget catching her breath from after all that crying. Eventually Jack spoke up.

"What happened earlier wasn't your fault…you were just reacting on instinct. Everybody does that, not just you. And there are worse things you could've done."

Bridget sniffled. "Like what?" She assumed Jack wouldn't have an answer to that.

"The lack of Summer in 1815," Jack listed with his fingers. "Creating a iceberg to attract attention, only for it to sink the _Titanic._" He sighed before adding, "Destroying Easter."

Bridget felt her throat close up. She looked at Jack with wide eyes, full of disbelief. She shook her head. "No…that was Pitch's doing he…" Jack's face had left unchanged. It showed no signs of hidden mirth or any kinds of jokes ready to come out.

"It happened on the night before Easter." Jack began, unsmiling. "I was outside in Burgess, going back to Bunny's Warren when I heard a voice, a girl's voice. She was calling my name."

Bridget mentally sighed. _"Of course it must've been that girl… the girl he must've been-" _She didn't bother finishing the rest of her thoughts and resumed listening to Jack's story.

"I kept fallowing the voice until I was at the entrance of Pitch's lair. Thousands of Mini-fairies were trapped in cages and all I could think was looking for the canister with my memories inside. Pitch had them and he offered me to join him. I said no but he…he reminded me of my fears of never feeling I could belong, and the Guardians not really wanting me-I panicked but I didn't lose my ground.

"He told me all I ever did was make a mess out of everything. And I did." Jack felt his eyes grow wet but he continued with his story, "Because I was gone all of Pitch's Nightmares came into the Warren. They smashed every egg and crushed every basket, nothing made it to the surface." He could almost hear North saying those words along with accusations he got from everyone else.

Bridget's lower lip quivered as she felt like crying again. _"No, you gotta be a big girl now. Jack needs me." _

"It wasn't long before they accused me of running Easter. They wanted nothing to do with me after that."

_"No." _Bridget felt her heart pounding. "It wasn't your fault."

Jack sighed. "Please, you don't have to try and me feel bet-"

"No," Bridget nearly shouted. "I'm serious. No one would've have expected that to happen." She clasped one of Jack's hands, lacing their fingers together. "Take it from somebody who knows what it's like to not know who you are and where you come from." She dropped her head down slightly before adding, "And having freakish powers over an element as well."

Both of them laughed slightly at that.

"You know," Bridget said slowly. "If you still feel guilty about what happened at Easter you should talk to the other Guardians about it. At least to let them know how you feel."

Jack sighed. "I'm not sure if I could."

"Keeping your feelings bottled up like that isn't healthy." Bridget explained before admitting, "I haven't told anyone about my powers until now."

"No one else knows?" Jack gasped.

Bridget nodded. "You're the first to know." Her eyes widened. "You can't tell anyone else."

"You have to tell someone else about this eventually." Jack reasoned.

"I'm not ready for that yet." Bridget said back. "How they'll react and what they might do…I can't take that in right now."

Before Jack could reply familiar hissing sounds surrounded them. Both Guardian and human jumped up when the Fearlings started to crawl near them with lead daggers in tow.

Jack directed his staff at the shadowy creatures while glancing at Bridget. "You didn't go after these guys, didn't you?"

Bridget inched behind Jack and shook her head. "How could I? They use to be kids Jack, I can't live with that kind of guilt if my fire harmed them."

The winter spirit sighed in frustration. He had to fight the Fearlings to keep him and her safe but how could he fight things that use to be children? The Fearlings creped closer toward the two. They were ready to corrupt more souls into their mindless sway of darkness.

Suddenly, the sound of sleigh bells and reindeer hooves filled the air. North's sleigh zoomed overhead buzzing past the ship. In moments the other Guardians came falling out surrounding themselves around the two.

Bunnymund held out his dual boomerangs and pointed them at the darting Fearlings. "Aw, you think you're brumbies huh? You don't wanna race a rabbit, mate."

"Wings up ladies and take no prisoners!" Tooth charged in with her Mini-fairies in tow, dodging the Fearlings with their skilled flying. She stood near Bridget and gave her and Jack a quick hug before going back to attack mode.

"Yulyevich Achron!" North shouted while jumping down fro his sleigh. His large feet boomed on the sandy floor. He gave the two teens amused looks. "You have a habit of getting into trouble."

Jack chuckled nervously. "Tell us something we don't know."

A bright light whooshed dangerously close to the Fearlings causing them to hiss away while the light glowed down. It was Nightlight!

He waved at Bridget and Jack before holding out his diamond dagger at the black mass of Fearlings.

North brought out his two sabers and spoke directly to Jack. "Petrov found us vaking up and lead us here. Took a lot longer since most of us barely remember the deer language that vell." He added sheepishly.

Jack looked up the see the sleigh still hovering over the ship. He smiled and whispered, "Thanks Pete."

"Препятствуйте нам воевать!" North shouted vigorously before they all charged.

"Wait!" Bridget shouted. "You can hurt them. They use to be kids."

The elder Guardians looked at Bridget awkwardly, unsure how to deal with that ideal.

"Sheila, it's the only option we have," Bunny tried to clarify to the redhead. "All of these creatures aren't kids anymore. They're loss causes."

"There's no such thing as a loss cause." Bridget defended.

Nightlight paled when he saw the lead daggers. He could remember all of the close calls he had of almost getting sliced by one.

"What kind of swords are these anyway?" Jack asked, not familiar with the metal.

"Lead," Bridget answered with dread.

Jack snickered. "So what are they gonna do? Write on us?"

"It's not like that Jack," Tooth said. "Lead found in the core of the earth can drain light away. It steals light and cannot penetrate through the lead."

"Which means Nightlight can't fight." Bridget looked over at the spectral boy with a worried glance. He did flinched slightly when some Fearlings jerked their daggers near him but he held his ground and kept his brave face on. She saw no signs of true fear in his eyes. He glanced her way and gave her a small smile and motioned with his staff, showing that he was more than all right with fighting.

Jack squinted his eyes in thought when he realized something. "Hey where's Sand-" He didn't have time to finish when a new, more golden, light appeared before the troupe and Fearlings. A small glow could be seen on the very tip of the mast. In a matter of seconds the mast made nightmare sand from changed it into golden dreamsand.

"Sandy!" Bridget cheered. All around her and the Guardians the ship started to transform from black nightmare sand into a literal golden dreamboat. The Fearlings attempted to run off but Sandy grabbed them by the handfuls. One by one they slowly tuned into dreamsand children wearing little sailor uniforms. They no longer held lead weapons of lead but instead wood-like canes carrying little lanterns.

North's blue eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't know he could do that." The other Guardians shrugged, unsure how to answer the Guardian of Dreams unique power. Sanderson Mansnoozie was still a mystery to them. But they all could agree that he was a little man with great power.

The moment Sandy floated to the ground Bridget ran over to him and gave the Guardian a big hug, not caring whether or not she'd pass out seconds later.

"Thank you," Bridget whispered to Sandy, glad that someone didn't attempt to resort to violence toward the corrupted children.

Sandy, who had missed out on Bridget's preaching earlier, had a somewhat confused look but decided to return the hug anyway.

"Sandy," North walked up to the eldest Guardian after he and Bridget broke apart. "You are great at the perfect timing thing. Made this whole battle piece of pie."

"Don't you mean cake?" Bridget asked in puzzlement.

"You eat vhat you like, and I'll eat vhat I like," North insisted playfully with his arms crossed.

A small reformed Fearling came over to greet the Guardians. "We are so grateful for saving us from the darkness, Lord High Protector of Sleep and Dreams."

Sandy smiled and formed a dreamsand admiral's hat and tipped the plumaged object.

The ship ceased forming and was no longer a horrible Dream Pirate ship. It was a golden clipper, large golden masts and all. But not the kind that traveled in space and turned into a moon of course. Speaking of the moon it was no longer covered by clouds and was now shining brightly again.

"Wow," was all Bridget could say while she walked around aimlessly. For a few moments at least until she was pulled back by Tooth when the sleigh finally landing on the deck.

The deer called with interest on the golden galleon they stood while eyeing every little former Fearling with curiosity. One of the reindeer got out of his harness and trotted near Bridget. His eyes twinkled a familiar sheen before he attempted to pull at Bridget's red hair.

Bridget giggled. "Stop it Petrov, ha-ha. Even after feeding you in Santoff Claussen this is how you treat me? Trying to eat my hair like it's alfalfa."

"_Or it could be the apple smell," _Jack wanted to say but held against it. "Hey if it weren't for him I'd wouldn't have gotten to you sooner." Jack said while resting his staff on his left shoulder.

"Well in that case, I should properly thank you." She placed a kiss on the reindeer's forehead. He snorted happily and nudged Bridget's face lightly. She giggled in return.

Jack frowned slightly until Bunny gave him a weird look. Bunny coughed and grinned, "Jealous of a deer?"

Jack turned away and muttered, "Shut up."

Soon afterwards the deer started yawning and prepared to lie down and rest. North went over to them to try and convince them to stay awake. It didn't work and the former Cossack kneeled down in defeat and removed their harnesses. "At least let me take these off for you."

"If you all wish to rest there are hammocks downstairs that you can all sleep in." The former Fearling from before offered. Her (the being was wearing a dress) gold eyes gleamed before adding, "We can take you anywhere you wish."

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Tooth replied while stifling a yawn. Her Mini-fairies mimicked her movements as they fallowed her down below deck.

"They're gonna need new names now," Bridget pointed out after petting Petrov. She went over to Sandy. "The former Fearlings I mean. Do you think 'Dreamlings' sound good?"

Sandy thought it over and shook his head.

"'Dreamers?'" Bridget suggested after a few minutes of debate.

The Guardian thought it over until he smiled and gave her a thumb's up. "Dreamers it is then." Bridget yawned. "I don't know about you all but I think I need to sleep too."

Slowly but steadily everyone bid each other a goodnight before heading down. All except for Nightlight as he floated around before flying up to the crow's nest.

Bridget noticed Nightlight wasn't with them and gazed at where he was. "Say North, why isn't Nightlight coming down. Doesn't he need to sleep too?"

North saw where Bridget was pointing and answered, "Nightlight does not need to sleep. He can't sleep," North added to explain it better.

"Oh," Bridget murmured. She glanced to where Nightlight was. He stood in the crow's nest, keeping his vigilance toward any possible foe that might come out in the middle of the night.

Bridget smiled, glad that she and Guardians had a friend like him. "Goodnight Nightlight."

With that said Bridget walked down into the ship. She found a free hammock with ease and rested herself in it, letting the gentle rocking of the ship sway her to sleep.

But the rest of the night had other plans.

* * *

**Q-A: **O-O Yep, I dropped the 'Super Secret Power' bomb on you guys. But I SWARE Bridget will not turn into some Mary-Sue (I hope). With her powers she'll still be the same person, just with powers over fire now. :\ Well who said we like the Guardians with their powers alone anyways. XD So there wasn't much action in this chapter but in the next one there will be some tension and a new, but old, character that 'meets' the Guardians. XD I think you'll like her a lot.

Препятствуйте нам воевать! –Let's fight!

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	15. Sleepless over Egypt

**Disclaimer: **Except for the occasional O.C. none of the characters are mine! They belong to DreamWorks and **The Greater God of the Moonbots!**

* * *

_~Sleepless over Egypt~_

_Springtime in the forest was pleasant for the villagers of Burgess because it meant winter had finally come to an end. With winter gone food could grow again. That was what the adults felt about the seasonal change at least. The children, on the other hand, saw spring for one day and one day only._

"_EASTER!" Jack Overland cheered while his sister fallowed._

"_Jack," Emily gasped while trying to catch up to her older brother. "Can you slow down please?"_

"_And miss out on all of the eggs," Jack quirked his head with a toothy grin. _

_Emily pouted, "Your 16 years of age and still go after Easter eggs."_

_Jack smirked. "I hope to not be hearing resentment in that inquiry young lady." He placed his basket onto the ground before crossing his arms. "Don't tell me that the seeds of jealously have plagued my little sister."_

_The smaller Overland stomped her left foot in a manner their own mother would frown upon. "I am not! I just thought by now you would grow out of this."  
_

"_And miss out on all of the fun?" Jack asked while they started to walk. Him casually collecting eggs like it was a simple task and helping Emily with getting the occasional one out of her reach. His brown eyes softened when a thought passed through Jack's mind. "Do you want me to stop doing this with you?"_

_Emily shook her head vigorously. "No, it's just…most of the people Mother speak with say you act differently than their own children your age."_

_Jack shrugged. "So?"_

"'_So?'" Emily clasped her brother's arm. "Jack it means they must want you to…grow-up." She whispered the last part like it was an offensive word._

_The oldest Overland sibling gave his younger sibling a calculating look. A few seconds passed and he pounced on Emily, tickling her at every spot he could find. "J-jack-k!" Emily tried to call out through giggles. "S-stop, that tickles!"_

_Jack chuckled, "Well good." He grabbed Emily by her waist and spun her once, causing her to giggle once more. He set her down before asking, "Now does that answer you're question?"_

_Emily nodded. "I think so."_

"_Good," Jack said. "Because no matter how old I will become I am never going to stop having fun or playing around."_

"_Even when you're 100?" Emily asked after offering a hand to Jack. _

"_Even when I'm 300!" Jack suggested with a smile._

_Emily laughed. "Nobody can live to be __**that **__old Jack."_

_Jack hummed. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I can try." He tickled her stomach one last time before he ran a head a few feet. "Last one down the hill is a rotten Easter egg!"_

"_No fair!" Emily pulled up the rim of her dress while holding onto her basket. "You've got a head start and you can move faster than me."  
_

"_Tis not my fault Mother made you wear a Sunday dress!"_

"_Yes it is. You told her I would look nice in it. Wait up!"_

"_Don't worry, I'll be here Emily~!" _

_Emily…._

* * *

"-a_nd that's why Epona is the Goddess of Horses and Mules and not just the name of a horse in a popular video game series." Bridget told Jamie in a tone that would mock her community college professor. They were sitting in Jamie's room while Carol was cooking dinner and Sophie took a nap in her room. It was the beginning of September with school already underway. _

_Summer had passed and school was back. Kids and teenagers begrudgingly renewed their learning while they waited impatiently for holiday weekends and winter break. Bridget ended up enrolled in Burgess High without a hitch. _

_When Bridget's teachers noticed her interest in mythology they suggested for her to try dual enrollment at the Burgess Community College. A rare chance for high school students to get college credit while also taking classes they actually like. It was fun for Bridget because she could continue reading more about the legendaries she read when she was a child and got to tell what she learned to Jamie. He was just as eager to know as much as Bridget did._

"_That's so cool," Jamie replied after hearing about the horse goddess. "Did the Celts really have a god for everything?"_

_Bridget laughed. "It feels like it. But they were mostly connected with the earth because the Celts lived off the land and needed food to grow for them."_

"_Do you think I should make Epona's hair brown or black?" Jamie asked while taking out some colored pencils and a sheet of paper. _

_Bridget shrugged. "I'm not sure…they never really say what Celtic gods initially look like though. But I guess for warriors like the Dagda, they would wear thick armor and woolen clothes for battles. For women like Epona, give her a dress to wear." Bridget told Jamie and the color of the dress should be. "Oh and make sure to put a horse with her since she's associated with them." _

"_Got it," Jamie said as he started to draw._

_Bridget couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face. She enjoyed sharing those kinds of moments with Jamie. While she had fun partaking any merriment with Jamie's friends as well, there was something about the boy that intrigued her. They both had a passion for all things magic and enjoyed fantasy novels more than the next person. But what else made them bond so quickly? _

"_Okay this next god might be a little more tricky to draw," Bridget skimmed through a few lines before laughing. "I swear half of these seem so…" Bridget paused when she didn't hear the sound feverish pencil scribbling. _

_Bridget squinted her eyes slightly at the spot where Jamie sat and she asked, "Okay what's on your mind?"_

_Jamie hunched slightly. "Nothing."_

_Bridget crossed her arms. "That doesn't sound like a 'nothing-nothing.' That was more of a 'something-nothing.'"_

_The younger child sighed. "My mom was talking on the phone the other day. She was talking with your social worker."_

_The redhead titled her head. "And you brought that up because…"_

"_Because I'm thinking they were talking about sending you away." Jamie quickly added, "Sophie will upset if you're gone, with no one to tell her more stories. You're a way better babysitter than Jessica, even if Mom doesn't know that yet."_

_Bridget could clearly hear the worry in Jamie's tone. "Just because your mom talked a bit with Brad doesn't mean I'm going away." The redhead smiled before leaning down on Jamie's bed, resting on one of his pillows. "I like it here too much."_

"_But you do want a family, don't you?"_

_That question struck a cord within Bridget. She sat back up again and brushed a few strands of loose hair from her bangs. "Look, I am looking for a family but right at the moment I want to focus on what's happen **now**. And right now I'm here in Burgess, going to school and making friends with you and your pals."-Jamie smiled at that-"Someday I want I to have a family but I'm not sure when that'll happen yet."_

"_Can I be the first to know?" Jamie asked._

_Bridget grinned, "I'll introduce you to them and let you decide if they're a good match for me." The teenager put her hand out, offering it to Jamie. "Deal?"_

_The brown-eyed boy smiled then clasped her hand. "Deal."_

* * *

Underneath the Dreamboat, where the sleeping quarters existed in, a redheaded girl with a long braid struggled. She struggled for a few reasons. One, she was waking up from a dream. Two, someone in a hammock to her left kept snoring. Third, the sleeper on her right kept kicking her with his long pooka feet. Sailing on a ship was a very unpleasant experience for the redhead.

While breathing out a long sigh Bridget opened her eyes. She leafed through her pockets until she found her egg-shaped spectacles and put them in place. _"Yep it's still dark, meaning I barely slept a few hours. Damn."_

Bridget was about to roll over, away from the kicking, when she heard a voice.

"-ily…"

"_That sounds like Jack talking," _Bridget thought. She soon remembered that she was sleeping above him and looked below to see what was the matter.

Jack Frost was having trouble sleeping as well. Except he wasn't awake like Bridget was. He tossed and turned with his eyes half opened. Bridget slowly brought her hand near his face until he spoke.

"Emily, I'm so sorry."

Bridget recoiled her hand at once.

"I didn't-no please. I still love you. Don't-don't be sad."

Bridget felt an unsettling emotion inside herself as she looked away. She quickly reprimanded herself. _"C'mon get it together. If he…l-words someone else it's not my problem. Yeah, what I'm feeling is hormones, nothing else."_ Bridget frowned before thinking,_ "So why do I still feel like my chest is being crushed by a cinderblock?"_

Bridget shook her head. She wasn't going to keep thinking like that. Obviously her mind was full and she was probably suffering from jetlag. That made sense seeing how she was in Siberia only a day before and now traveling over the Middle East. All she needed was some fresh air.

Pleased with that notion Bridget got off of her hammock slowly so she wouldn't unsettle her hammock-mates. She went over to a corner of the room where her clothes and backpack lied and went to go grab her coat. She wore a cotton camisole underneath so she would need something thicker to wear while she went up to the deck. How the air in Egypt would get cold at night was still a mystery to Bridget. When she picked up her brown coat she noticed right away the singe and burnt cloth.

"_Well so much for wearing this," _Bridget inwardly sighed. Such a shame too since it was a nice coat. Bridget went over to her backpack to see if there were any spare clothes. The redhead sighed when she realized none of them were made for cold climates or hot ones for that matter.

If only Bridget had something to wear that was thick but well insulated enough to keep warm and-She then remembered the maroon coat Ombric gave her. Without any problems Bridget found the coat with ease.

The brown and red fabric shown a soft glow while the wool lining offered warmth and actual softness. The Bríde's crosses stitched at the coat's end looked so foreign to Bridget. And yet, they worked along side with the coat and gave it a very homely appearance. It made Bridget wonder if this coat was meant for her at all.

After much debate (and the desire to leave the snoring bunkmates) Bridget placed her arms in the sleeves and pulled up the coat. The sleeves went over her hands a bit so Bridget pulled them again. She noticed her bracelet and frowned slightly while seeing it.

"_Oh sure my coat is scorched but how the hell did the bracelet survive the fire? It's made out of metal for pity sake." _

In time Bridget quit glaring at the golden trinket and resumed putting on her new outfit. The hood accidently swooped over her head, making Bridget giggle a bit in the process. She quieted herself and wrapped the coat tightly around her since the coat didn't come with a zipper (odd that people from a supposedly imaginative race couldn't come up with a simple zipper).

Bridget gave the Guardians one last look before climbing up the stairs toward the main deck.

* * *

The whole deck was open and empty when Bridget climbed up. Even the sleigh was absent, something Bridget assumed that the Dreamers must have placed it and the reindeer in the cargo hold on the ship.

"_Probably eating all of the alfalfa they can have." _Bridget smirked slightly. She walked around the deck, aimlessly, while occasionally gazing at the design of the Dream Clipper. There were some moments though Bridget swore she saw little seashells scurrying about. The redhead wasn't so sure because she would barely see them at a glance and tried to look again, only for them to not be there at all. Bridget shook her head. All of her weird sleeping patterns was starting to affect her.

Bridget went over at the ship's starboard and rested her arms on the ledge. She smiled slightly when she noticed the ship was flying over Giza where she could clearly see the pyramids and Sphinx.

"_I wonder if there are any actual Sphinx's in the world? Maybe they helped with levitating the solid rock like Ombric taught in his class." _Bridget laughed when another thought crossed her mind. _"Naw, if they helped with the pyramid building, Bunny wouldn't be anywhere near the top to put the egg-shaped stone then. He'd probably think the sphinges were giant dingoes." _

Bridget couldn't help herself she began to laugh so hard. It was a long time since she had such a good laugh.

Eventually she stopped laughing when Bridget noticed a white glow near her. The redhead noticed that it was Nightlight. He dropped down near the redhead, looking at her quizzically as he was clinging to a Jacob's ladder while upside down.

Bridget nearly jumped out of her skin but quickly recomposed herself before she could. "Um, hi." She brought out a hand and waved at him.

Nightlight blinked and returned the gesture. He squinted his eyes and pointed at Bridget's hand.

"Huh?" Bridget tilted her head slightly until she realized Nightlight was pointing at her right hand. "Oh," she suddenly found out that the new coat didn't hide her open-ended golden bracelet. "You're asking about this?"

Nightlight nodded.

"I've had this since, like, forever." Bridget explained with the best of her abilities. "It's probably the only thing I have that connects to my life before I lost my memories. If I had a life before I lost the memories that is." When she noticed Nightlight's confused expression Bridget quickly gave him a brief summary of her past (without mentioning the fire powers). Nightlight nodded and sat patiently while she spoke.

"_That's right just keep this nice calm stuff up Bridget and try to not make yourself a fool aga-" _Bridget had no time to finish her thoughts when a weird feeling appeared inside her again.

"Ack!" Bridget jumped around while her hands reached her backside. Nightlight was very confused by this point. He had no idea how to help the poor girl; his moonbeam was just as mystified.

Without meaning to, Bridget's feet caught in some rope near the starboard and tripped onto her face. Nightlight cringed before climbing down the rope ladder to assist the redhead.

Bridget groaned before she pushed herself back up. A moment later something crawled out of Bridget's hood. A small salamander with blue stripes rested itself on Bridget's sleeve after it slid down from her hood. The little amphibian bewildered the redhead and the spectral boy for a moment until Bridget squealed.

"Aw~, what a cute little thing," Bridget cooed. She held up the little critter near her face and narrowed her eyes in adoration. "You're the same one that was on me those other times weren't you?"

The salamander showed no signs of resistance while it stared at the girl's face. In blinked and stuck its tongue out to lick its mouth.

"I'll take that as a yes." Bridget grinned. "And you came all this way too. Egypt's pretty far from Siberia, you know. Well I can't just drop you off around here." She referred to the land they were flying over. "Not only is it pretty far from where you live but the desert might not work for you." Her grin grew when she came up with something. "I got it. I'll take care of you until we get back to Santoff Claussen. I think I'll call you…Sally."

Nightlight gave Bridget a look and she rolled her eyes. "Give me a break it's the only name I can come up with right now." Her gray eyes went back to Sally. "You're probably very hungry from being in my coat." She walked away, heading back to the stairs. "I'll be seeing ya, Nightlight." Bridget made a slight wave while she walked away.

Nightlight watched the human walk away for a few moments before floating up to the bowsprit. He titled his head to the side while staring longingly at the moon. The moon itself was large and ominous looking as always while it surprisingly had the face of a smiling man. It almost took away the much stranger thing to happen next.

Nightlight began to speak. His voice was so long forgotten, like a distant memory that echoed from a long, misplaced past. "My old friend MiM. The great Tsar Lunar as others call you, I ask under your behalf to give me a sign." He clasped his staff while standing perfectly on the bowsprit. "I need to know if my Katherine still lives."

His glowing eyes held so much worry that if any onlooker saw they would quickly suppose he held feelings for the girl. The moonbeam within Nightlight's dagger almost wished it had the ability to shed tears from how much heartache it heard from its spectral friend. There was still a sliver of hope though.

Ombric did tell them she was still alive, but…what if that was only the false hopes of a concern father? And if Nightlight's fellow Guardians said about centuries having passed since they last saw him or Katherine. Would that mean Katherine was… Nightlight hung his head low. He couldn't even bear to think more of those dark thoughts.

"Wow, and here I thought you were a mute like Sandy."

Nightlight turned around fast to see Jack Frost standing right near the edge of the bow. A Mini-fairy was also present with the winter spirit. It was the one affectionately nicknamed 'Baby Tooth' if Nightlight recalled correctly. That didn't really matter at the moment since he was spotted doing an activity he preferred not many people to know about.

Jack noticed Nightlight stepping back slightly, like he wanted to run off. The winter spirit held up his free arm. "Whoa, hey don't go."

When Nightlight hesitated Jack continued, "Look we're not here to bother you." A sharp chirp came from the Mini-fairy. She gave Jack a blank look and her arms akimbo. Jack puffed out some air. "Okay fine, I woke up and heard Bridget was leaving the lower decks. I fallowed with Baby Tooth in tow 'cause she was sleeping near my hoodie. I hid behind the mast while Bridget talked with you."

Jack crossed his arms, giving Baby Tooth a blank look of his own. "Happy?"

Baby Tooth mirrored Jack's appearance. She chirped once before flying back downstairs. Nightlight tried really hard to hold his silent laughter while Jack chuckled sheepishly.

Nightlight walked down the bowsprit with the skill of an acrobat and landed near the winter spirit. He craned his neck slightly while he held his staff behind his back. Nightlight was curious to know what exactly did the Guardian of Fun want.

Jack sighed; he brushed a hand through his white hair. "Look what you did earlier today to come for Bridget and me was really great of you. You came to save us against the Fearlings and I'm grateful for it. But the real reason I came here was that, I want to talk about the way I've been acting the last few days and…I'm sorry."

Nightlight widened his eyes slightly.

"I'm sorry about how I've been treating you. I was jealous how everyone welcomed you. I was jealous that the others treated you differently than me." Jack glanced at the ground before adding, "And I was jealous of the idea that Bridget might've liked you. As in like-like you."

Nightlight gaped slightly at the winter spirit. Did Jack really thought that Nightlight was interested in…Nightlight felt his face heat up.

"Do you have feelings for her then?" Nightlight was surprised by that question but honestly answered with a shake of his head.

Jack nearly sighed in relief. "Okay, that's good then." He stood there awkwardly with the closing realization this was the first time he was actually speaking with Nightlight without any tension in the air.

The silence ended when Jack saw Nightlight writing something down in his little book and handed it over the other white-haired boy after he finished.

Do **you** have feelings for **her**?

A frown settled on Jack's features before he shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I'm not really sure. A part of me wants to…but the other is all like, 'No, Jack she probably doesn't like you like that,' 'Getting close to her will be bad.' Stuff like that keeps swarming in my head." Jack glanced over at Nightlight with a half smile. "But you probably know what feels like right? I mean, you like that Katherine girl, do you?"

Nightlight put out his hands, asking for the book. Jack handed it over and the other Guardian started to write down busily. After a few minutes Nightlight gave the book back to Jack who read over the words.

Yes, I do care for Katherine the same you pine for Bridget. Don't go into denial, it's clearly written on your face. -Jack started to think Nightlight was physic by that point-Katherine was the first friend I had in a long, long time. Over time I started to see her less as a brave, kind, true friend but more as a wonderful lady I grew very fond of as time passed. I am not sure when I started to feel that way but I do not question it.

I do not expect you to gain an epiphany from what I wrote here but I do want you to at least consider my words. Having the feeling of caring for someone more than a friend is not awful. It's the feeling of never telling them how you feel is what hurts. But if you don't tell her it's your choice. Simply do what your heart says. Take it from someone who wished he could have done it when he had the chance.

Jack finished reading the words written on the page and glanced at Nightlight. His look was full of sympathy and understanding.

One question still plagued Jack's mind. "So you never told her how you felt?"

Nightlight's look turned remorseful and he turned away.

"I'll take that as a no." Jack placed a hand on Nightlight's shoulder. "We'll get Katherine back. I'm sure how yet, but it will happen. Then it'll be the Morrígan's turn."

Nightlight nodded and spoke in his rarely used voice. "Thank you, Jack Frost."

Jack nodded with a smile and left after wishing Nightlight a good rest of the night.

No other words needed to be said.

* * *

"Bridget!" The redhead in question nearly fell from her hammock before she grabbed the sheet in the last second. It was a good thing she did because not only was she carrying a salamander in her front coat pocket, but also Tooth's Mini-fairies somehow woke up in the middle of the night and started to nest in Bridget's fluffy hood.

"_Most likely got cold from sleeping in Jack's hood,"_ Bridget thought with a snicker.

The fairies and amphibian didn't stir, letting Bridget sigh in relief.

"Leetle Girl, I need an arm down over in cargo hold!" North shouted again, completely ignoring the half-awake groans of protest from the hammocks' occupants. The yell did wake up the Mini-fairies though as they reluctantly got up and flew to where Tooth slept and nestled in with her.

Bridget sighed once more before she tied her sneakers on and walked down the hall where the cargo hold was.

* * *

While the deck above was spacious and open, the cargo hold was big but very crowded. Crates upon crates covered a fraction of the area while other unknown boxes were scattered around. The only living things inside the large hall-like structure were a pin full of six _Clydesdale-_sized reindeer and their tried looking master.

It would seem North was trying to feed them again. Or at least the stubborn Petrov, all the other reindeer ate without complaint. North turned toward where Bridget stood and waved. "Leetle Girl, Petrov refuses to eat. He insists that you should feed him."

Bridget laughed while walking to where the pin was. "Well obviously we have to give into his demands."

A tired Bridget placed her hands on her hips once she approached Petrov. "You must be pretty hungry if you had to make North here wake me up."

"I apologize for that," North said soothingly while Petrov's older brother Arhip.

Bridget half-shrugged. "It's alright." She rubbed her hands in contemplation while holding Petrov's gaze. "But before I left for this area I did swipe something from the galley for you." She placed a hand in her pocket (a pocket that didn't have Sally in it) and brought out a juicy, red apple.

Petrov jumped his front hooves in excitement as he craned his neck toward Bridget's hand. She pulled her arm back before waging a finger with her free hand. "Ah, no. First you gotta do the trick we practiced."

"Vhat trick?" North arched an eyebrow, unintentionally holding a piece of alfalfa that was an inch, painstakingly, away from Arhip to reach.

"Oh, don't worry North, you're gonna like this." Bridget promised with a huge grin on her face. She threw the apple up and down in the air, catching in the last second and glanced at Petrov. "You ready?"

Petrov snorted while scarping the floor with a hoof: _I was born ready._

"Then~ go catch it!" Bridget threw the apple so high in the air that its stem grazed the ceiling ever so slightly.

"Bridget!" North shouted in alarm but before he could do anything a blur zoomed by the former Cossack.

Petrov flew a summersault in the air and caught the apple with his teeth. Bridget applauded the deer as he made his descent to the ground. Both the reindeer and human bowed while the human called out a, "Ta-da~!"

In a second time since he first met Bridget, North was floored again. "You train my reindeer like his is part of Russian Circus?"

Bridget smiled uneasily. "Well it wasn't just me. The kids from Santoff Claussen helped a lot too." She pulled on Petrov's harness slightly and directed him back into the pin. "When you told me Petrov was the reindeer I rode to the village I wasn't very surprised since he kept fallowing me around the stable he and the other deer stayed at. The children got the idea of teaching him some tricks since he listened to me so well."

"They-we thought it would be fun and I couldn't help but imagine how useful it could be in the future." Bridget added, worried North didn't approve. "You never know if one of your elves fall over and your trained reindeer can go and save him."

North held an astonished look. Bridget frowned slightly while quickly adding, "We thought you'd like it."

The Guardian of Wonder smiled sincerely. "Aw, Leetle Girl." He walked over to Bridget, giving her a gentle hug. "Vhatever you do makes me proud. I never thought I'd see a child get so close to one of my reindeer until you came around." He stood near the pin, reaching out to rub Petrov's chin. "I named this one after my old friend from long ago. A horse no less. Smarter than my ex-bandits and brave as yeti."

North held a sideways look with slight irritation. "But he vas also stubborn, Petrov the horse vas. He only ate reddest apples I could find. Something that Reindeer Petrov also carries vithin." North stroked his beard while thinking over that theory while Bridget giggled.

"But Petrov can only eat vith you around now." North pointed out with a smirk. "How very unfortunate."

Bridget squinted her eyes with slight interest. "You wouldn't be implying anything, North." Her look turned a bit more serious. "Would you?"

North smiled, he gave Bridget a shoulder squeeze and answered, "All in good time Leetle Girl."

With that said North walked away, whistling a merry tune. Bridget remained where she stood, staring at his retreating form. Sally crawled out of the coat pocket as the salamander climbed on the redhead's shoulder. The little amphibian blinked one eye at a time and stuck its tongue out.

"Why must the answers I seek evade me?" Bridget turned her head to where Sally sat.

* * *

"No, you can't take that thing with us," Bunny literally put his foot down. He stood tall in contrast to Bridget's height while they were up on deck with the others. The Dreamers were helping with setting up the sleigh with new provisions. Sandy supervised while consulting with a few of his seashell buddies. Bridget was glad to know she wasn't going crazy after learning they were real.

"But why~?" Bridget purposely whined while fallowing the stubborn pooka. She held her salamander carefully while she went after the allusive Bunnymund.

"Because if there is one thing we don't need it another mouth to feed." Bunny replied while helping a Dreamer put a bag in the sleigh. "Besides, isn't that the same lil' slimer that messed with you all those other times?"

Bridget shrugged. "Does it really matter at this point?"

Bunny rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter, except that skinny frog isn't coming with."

The human frowned and crossed her arms. She walked over to where Tooth was and politely asked, "Can I take Sally with us on the trip? I'll make sure she gets back to Santoff Claussen."

Tooth smiled. "I don't see why not."

Bunny glowered at the Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies. "Tooth, we have to be consistent with her," he warned.

Tooth waved her hand. "What's the harm in letting Bridget have a pet?" She fluttered over to where Bridget stood.

Jack tilted his head in interest to the conversation after helping Nightlight with the reindeer. "Hey if Bridget gets a pet can I have dog?"

Bunny narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to humor me, Frost?" The pooka's eyes were dangerously dark.

Jack smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Cottontail." He shrugged and raised his arms slightly.

"No dogs," Bunny warned for the last time.

"How about getting me a camera instead?" Jack suggested.

"What is it about you and bloody cameras?"

"I feel like I'm missing out on a funny joke." Bridget said to Tooth.

"It's fine, they're always like that," Tooth replied while looking at Sally and not paying any attention to Bunny and Jack. "So you said you've had this little guy for a while now."

"Yeah, I've been looking after her since last night."

Tooth eyed Bridget with confusion. "'Her?' I think you should mean 'him' because this salamander's a guy."

Bridget's eyes widen in astonishment. "Really?" She held up the salamander and asked incredulously. "You've been a dude this whole time and didn't say anything?" She tightened her eyes with false scorn. "You must've like sleeping my pocket huh?"

Tooth stifled a laugh before she went back to help North and the Dreamers with the packing.

The redhead's intimate staredown with the salamander ended when he blinked his abnormal blink and Bridget cheered, "Yes I win the staring contest I just formed a second ago! But since you were such a good sport, I'll give you a new name that's not as degrading as Sally."

Bridget inspected the salamander like a doctor for a little bit before uttering, "I shall re-name you, Sal!" She twisted her free hand with flair while pointing her nose up in the air.

Jack leaned on his staff while a ghost of a grin plastered his face. "'Sal?' You're re-naming a salamander with the name Sal?"

Bridget stuck her tongue at him. "Give me a break, I'm not creative at the whole naming process."

"You're not naming it anything," Bunny declared. "The first sign of bonding with an animal is giving it a name."

"Would that explain why Jack sometimes likes calling you the 'Easter Kangaroo' and 'Peter Cottontail?'" Bridget surpassed a smile. She laughed when both Guardians of Hope and Fun glared at her.

"Very funny," Jack spoke with heavy sarcasm.

Bridget winked. "I learn from the best."

The pooka sighed before asking, "I'm not gonna be wining this argument at all, am I?"

Sandy shook his head and North answered, "Nope."

Bunny facepalmed. "Fine you can keep that slimy slug. But keep it away from me and my ears." He pointed at the long appendages to emphasize his statement.

Bridget cheered. "Yes! Oh, but by the way Sal's a **salamander**, not a slug. And they aren't slimy; they're covered in mucus." She held Sal right near Bunny's face.

Bunny winced away in repulsion. "And that's suppose to make me feel better?"

"Everyone! Sleigh is full vith supplies." North called out. "Ve vill be leaving shortly."

A few Dreamers stood near the sleigh while holding a chest. "We wish to thank you with a gift we scavenged from farthest corners of the ship."

Tooth smiled modestly. "Oh, why thank you."

The Dreamer First Mate opened the chest to reveal a metal hair clip of some sort. "This was used to hold hair when it is tied at the back of the head," the First Mate explained after handing it to Tooth. "They were very popular in my time."

Tooth smiled regretfully. "This is very nice of you to give this for us. But I can't wear it since I haven't had actual hair since I was twelve."

The Dreamers glanced over at their savior, Sandy. He kindly shook his head and pointed to his hair showing that it was made of sand, making it impossible for the hairclip to be of use for him.

The Dreamers inched toward Bunny. "Whoa," Bunny held up his paws. "My hair's not long enough for that. Not on your nelly."

The Dreamers glanced at North's very long beard. The Guardian chuckled, "I prefer keeping hair lose and free."

"Same with Nightlight and me." Jack pointed to himself and the other boy.

The Dreamers golden eyes peered at Bridget who smiled nervously. "I guess I'm wearing it then." _"It would be rude to reject the gift anyways."_

Bridget removed her worn-out scrunchy with one hand and held her braid in place with the other. When the Dreamers handed her the hairclip Bridget unclasped the metal object and placed it where her old band was. The hairclip fit like a glove and tied her hair in a similar manner as her old scrunchy did.

"Oh that looks very nice." Tooth complimented while her Mini-fairies chirped.

"It suits you," North chimed it.

Bridget smiled bashfully before attempting to climb up the sleigh. Unlucky for her though the sleigh was recently waxed and she slipped and fell. Thankfully before Bridget could reach the ground Jack caught her in the last second. Her mind went completely blank after Jack smiled.

"Wouldn't want you to fall now do we?" Jack attempted with the best winning smile he could muster.

Bridget slowly nodded while she felt her arms turn to jelly. She swallowed and clasped the side of the sleigh before putting one foot over into it. _"He wasn't actually flirting with me… was he?"_

Her mind remained in that state of shock as everyone else said his or her goodbyes.

"Goodbye all of you," Tooth said with a wave. "We're sorry for almost attacking you the other night."

"We forgive you!" The Dreamers called back. The First Mate Dreamer said, "We also wish to personally thank Sanderson Mansnoozie the First by taking over with his dreamsand deliveries while you go and confront that bad goddess lady."

The Guardians were thrilled to hear that, but not as happy as Sandy since he now finally had actual help for once. Not that the Seashells, sea turtles, or mermaids weren't helpful for Sandy before, but they couldn't travel outside of the world's many oceans. So naturally, going on land to spread the dreams of children was out of the question.

With one last wave and heartfelt goodbye, North snapped the reins and the sleigh flew up in the air, without leaving much of a scratch on the Dreamboat.

* * *

It took some getting use to flying on a sled after flying on a clipper for the Guardians and human. It was especially difficult for flyers like Jack, Tooth, and Nightlight since they were accustomed to being the air on their own accord. Sandy was fine with it since he has learned to control the urge from being in existence for a long time.

Bunny was doing his best to overcome his acrophobia while Bridget was still in her state of shock. No one seemed to notice yet because she rested her head near the sleigh's ledge and kept staring down at the moving ground.

Bridget's mind was in a complete blank after her 'rescue' from Jack. Did he have any idea what he was doing to her? He must have known the affects he had on her. Or the way she got spell bounded so easily.

"_I'm just suffering from hormones again. That's all it is." _She had to keep telling herself that because Bridget knew if she had any…interest in Jack it would end badly.

"_I am not the girl he's interested in anyways." _Bridget thought bitterly. _"It's that Emily girl…no I shouldn't think so badly about her. She is someone important to Jack and I need to be nice about it. If he…l-words the Emily girl then it's fine with me. Yeah, I am suffering from hormones." _She kept repeating that last sentence in her head a few times while Jack was having his own mental breakdown.

"_Maybe I was being to straightforward," _Jack contemplated. _"She hasn't said anything since we started flying. I must've done something wrong."_

A long sigh came from Bunny, loud enough for Jack to hear. "Having a problem, Cottontail?" The winter spirit held a half-smile.

Bunny smirked knowingly. "Jus' thinkin' about how you're screwing up something again. Only this time it's with a certain Shelia."

Jack's narrowed his blue eyes. "And that's suppose to mean…"

"You're lousy at flirting." Bunny answered in a whisper.

"What?!" Jack shouted. Nearly everyone, minus Bridget, turned over to where the rabbit and human Guardians sat. Jack smiled sheepishly and silently thanked the moon for Bridget not listening on what was being said.

"I suggest you keep your yapper shut unless you want the Big Ankle-biter to hear you," Bunny advised with a raised paw in a singsong voice.

"Funny, I never saw you as a _Casanova_," Jack barked back while crossing his arms.

"You have no idea how many girls like fluffy bunnies." Bunny retorted.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Knowing Sophie I think I do."

Bunny ignored the comment and resumed speaking, "I know a good handful of ways from watching couples over Easter holidays past." Bunny enlightened. "Most of them being people who reconcile after a failed date on Valentine's, I'd a assume."

"And your point is…" Jack arched an eyebrow in impatience.

Bunny motioned Jack to lean closer. Jack inched in and the pooka whispered, "I can help you with getting Bridget to like ya."

Jack's eyes widened in shock. E. Aster Bunnymund wanted to help **him**? That was unheard of. It had to be some kind of a joke.

"You're pulling my leg." Jack said.

Bunny shook his head, his whiskers shifting around. "I ain't ya Gumby. I'm being serious. I can help with your love problems."

Jack sighed in irritation, running a hand through his hair. "I don't have any problems."

"Then why aren't you two playing handsies now?" Bunny smirked in triumph when Jack got nothing to counter.

"I don't know. I'm just starting to figure out how I feel for Bridget, but I'm sure I'm not ready for that stuff yet. I still don't know if she likes me back."

Bunny nodded. "That's exactly why you shouldn't push the Big Ankle-biter yet because she might not be ready for all that flirting."

The winter spirit realized what Bunnymund had said. "So I was being too forward?"

Bunny chuckled. "Yes…and no. A lot of shelias like it when a bloke's Kiss-Chasey but for someone like Bridget, you need to be slower."

"Okay," Jack agreed with total interest. He almost felt like he needed to take notes, but he decided against it, knowing Bunny would never live it down.

* * *

"_I am suffering from-" _Bridget felt a tap on her shoulder and she nearly squealed. "Whoa!" The redhead turned around to see an embarrassed Tooth with her fingers still curled from the previous poking.

"Oh, uh hi Tooth," Bridget offered a wave.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Tooth said thoughtfully.

Bridget shook her head. "No," she lied. "I was…just admiring the view."

"North said we're about to pass the English Channel. We should be in Ireland in a few hours."

Bridget felt her mouth shrink into an 'o' shape. "Wow, that fast?"

Tooth nodded. "Well it is already into the afternoon. But I also wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"When was the last time you brushed your teeth?" Tooth's eyes were full of worry.

Bridget's mouth turned into a thin line. "My teeth?"

"Yes!" Tooth yelled but covered her mouth before smiling shyly. "We've been away from a place to brush or floss for sometime now and my fairies and I have gotten a little worried." Her feathers fluffed and quivered.

Bridget smiled halfway. "You wanna probe my mouth again?" She pointed at her teeth and Tooth eagerly nodded.

"Okay let's see here," Bridget felt a tug on her jaw while Tooth poked through with her fingers. The Mini-fairies chirped in curiosity while they fluttered near their mother and her 'patient.' "There are no signs of any cavities but…oh I just noticed a few signs of plaque forming near the incisors and wisdom teeth."

Bridget sat in the most comfortable way she could while the tooth inspecting process continued. For the most part Bridget sat quietly while keeping her face in the position Tooth wanted. The redhead's eyes moved around, observing the on-goings on the sleigh.

North was busy with driving the sleigh, obviously. Sandy and Nightlight were playing _Connect Four _made from dreamsand. The smaller guy was winning. And last, but not least, Bunny and Jack was conversing with each other in near silence. Bridget could tell they were whispering about something but she couldn't hear exactly due to Tooth's chattering over the girl's teeth. Whatever the discussion was about it caused Jack to occasionally flush violet and speak harshly into Bunny's ear, much to the pooka's annoyance.

"_What's up with those two-OH MY GOD!" _Bridget's eyes widened when she saw a flaming projectile coming towards the sleigh. Bridget shot back, causing Tooth to remove her fingers and turn to see the flaming fireball too. "Ahh, North!"

"Already on it!" North pulled the reins that lead the sleigh to its right and pushing most of the passengers that direction as well. A few of them groaned in pain.

"Is everyone alright?" North asked while looking away from the front for a moment. Before Bridget could say anything her eyes widened again and she shouted, "North, behind you!"

Another fireball came flying towards them. Quicker than a blur, North pulled the reins. The sleigh flew straight into the air. The climb was so steep that a few provisions and Bridget slipped and fell from the sleigh.

"Bridget!" Jack yelled while trying to catch her hand. He couldn't grasp it as the redhead free fell.

Barely five seconds passed when an unknown force caught Bridget. A large, scaly hand enveloped her whole waist. When Bridget fallowed the direction of the arm that was connected to the hand she found out who saved her. It was a large dragon with dark green scales flapped its wings before looking down at Bridget. Its eyes were snake-like and slit like a hungry snake's. Bridget's pupils shrunk into tiny dots right as she started to scream.

The dragon snorted, black smoke puffing out of its nostrils, and flew down to a coastline. The dragon landed near a beach and let go of Bridget. She fell a few feet before landing on the sandy ground. The redhead spat sand out of her mouth while sitting on all fours. _"Gross, now I know how earthworms feel." _

The green dragon landed four yards away from Bridget, its lime green eyes peering down at the human. The dragon was at least thirty feet tall with ram horns on its head. It had a brown mane that clutched to the dragon's head.

Bridget gulped nervously. Sal climbed out of his sleeping spot in Bridget's pocket and lazily gazed at the scene before him. When he saw the dragon he quickly scrambled back into Bridget's pocket without saying a peep. Bridget wished she could hide in somebody's pocket. She closed her eyes in panic while thinking.

"_Oh god, oh god, oh god! Is this really the end? I'm going to become a giant lizard's meal? I never did all the things I ever wanted to do! I never finished high school, never saw the world! Hell, I never had been kissed! Somebody save me!"_

"Never been kissed?" Bridget opened her eyes to see the dragon look at her with an amused expression. The voice had an accent that sounded like…Welsh?

The dragon laughed, throwing its head back. "That's rich! I haven't heard that one in 85 years!"

Bridget was no longer cowering as she let her guard down a bit. "How did you know what I said?"

The dragon ceased laughing and held a lopsided grin, showing a row of white teeth the size of chainsaws. Bridget laughed nervously before she swallowed. "You were practically shouting all of your depressing miss-outs of life, merch."

"I was shouting them?" Bridget frowned slightly. She really needed to work on the whole talking mentally thing. It would seem she had spoken her thoughts aloud again.

"Like a Banshee," the dragon replied while scratching her ear with a clawed finger.

Bridget fought the urge to frown. "So you're not going to eat me?"

The dragon arched a thinly brown eyebrow. "Are you mental? Why would I eat someone as tiny as you? Hardly appetizing at all." When the dragon saw Bridget's distressed look it quickly said, "I'm only joking. I wouldn't eat a human even if I wanted to."

"Then why did you capture me?"

"Capture you..?" The dragon began until the sound of jingling bells rang overhead.

The sleigh, with the Guardians in tow, landed on the beach. They quickly got out and rushed to where Bridget and the dragon stood.

"Ve stop meeting like this, Coch," North spoke to the dragon in a surprisingly casual way.

The dragon frowned, "I go by Scarlett now."

North turned to his companions they shrugged. "Okay, **Scar-lett**, vhy did you shoot at my sleigh?"

Scarlett grinned. "Oh come now, Nicholas St. North, you ask me that same question every year on the Eve of Nadolig."

'Nadolig?' Bridget mouthed at Tooth. The fairy whispered, "Christmas."

"You shoot at Santa Claus on Christmas Eve?" Bridget placed her hands on her hips while staring at Scarlett.

The green dragon smiled in amusement. "Ah, I only do it to tease the old man. I never shoot 'im down, just enough to spook his stags and nothin' else."

The redhead twitched her mouth. "Not sure if that makes me feel better."

"I didn't think you Guardians would have yourselves a mascot." Scarlett turned to the other Legendaries. "And such a tiny one too."

Bridget pouted and turned away from the dragon's gaze. She muttered, "I wouldn't look so little if you were my size."

"Is that so?" Scarlett inched her head near Bridget, causing the redhead to jump back. "Well let us have a look at that shall we?"

Jack walked over to where Bridget was. "You might want to step back a bit," he advised her.

The dragon stood on her hind legs, looking even taller than before. Without reason the dragon began to spun around like a spinning top. She went faster and faster like a whirlwind. The Guardians and Bridget stepped away from the current of air as the mini-twister started to grow smaller.

The wind minimized in size and slowly died down. The air returned to its normal current as someone came out of the spot where the dragon stood.

It was a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. Her brown hair was sleeked back to her head and her eyebrows were thin and narrow. Her clothing was simple, a dark brown tunic with flannel pants that nearly match in color with bronze colored boots. She wore a red, green, yellow, and black plaid sash held together with a golden brooch.

Bridget had a feeling that was still the dragon named Scarlett for a few good reasons. The woman still had ram horns on her head; her ears were exactly like the dragon's (fin shape and all). And possibly the most obvious of all, her wings and tail were attached to the woman's backside and occasionally twitched.

The woman walked over to Bridget as she felt fear climb up her spine. Scarlett looked over at the redhead and laughed loudly. So loud was the laugh that it nearly shook down the beach. "Ha, I should've known I'd still be a good head taller than this morch here." She pointed at Bridget.

The redheaded girl sighed in return. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Morch means 'girl' in my tongue, missy," Scarlett replied with a hint of pride.

"Your tongue?" Bridget asked with interest.

"I am Welsh, you tiny morch. Unless you didn't notice beforehand."

Bridget held a confused expression until North came over and clasped an arm over Bridget's shoulders. "Leetle Girl, this being here is _Y Ddraig Goch. _Better known as the Dragon of Vales."

"**W**ales, North, Wales." Scarelett corrected. "After who knows how many centuries you still say it wrong."

Bridget squinted her eyes in confoundment. "But I thought the dragon of Wales was re-" North quickly covered her mouth in a hair's breadth of a second. He chuckled nervously. "Leetle Girl wasn't going to say anything to you Scar."

The dragon-turned human's eyes narrowed dangerously with a slightly tic. "What was she trying to say North?"

North shook his head, his beard moving sideways. "Nothing, she vas to speak of nothing."

"Odd, seeing how it sounded like she was about to say something to me." Scarlett mentioned while she stared at Bridget.

Bridget pushed North's hand away and quickly said, "Well I was saying I thought the dragon of Wales was **re**ally from Dinas Emrys and not on the coastline."

"_Good save Bridget," _Jack thought with a relieaved smile.

Scarlett blinked twice before a long pasue and began 'ahh-ing.' "Well I do live there but that doesn't mean I don't take a holiday every once in a while."

Bridget nodded, "Fascinating." She looked over the dragon's jewelry. "I really like your brooch."

Scarlett feigned innocence before smiling slyly. "Oh you mean this old thing." She pointed at the brooch. "Got it as a steal during the Bronze Age I did." She laughed heartily before eye Bridget. "You got a nice torc there too."

"A what?" Bridget arched an eyebrow.

"A torc," Scarlett repeated. "Honestly you don't even…oh you don't know do you?"

Bridget shrugged, unsure how to answer.

"A torc was worn during the Iron Age by Celts." Scarlett explained. "Mostly worn as neck rings though, but a bracelet wasn't uncommon either."

Bridget instinctively touched her golden metal woven trinket. "Have you seen people still wear it today?"

Scarlett pursed her lips. "Sorry, I can't say I have."

Bridget frowned as her head lowered slightly. Scarlett sifted her eyes nervously when she noticed the Guardians giving her dour looks. "Aw, but it might 'ave been a fashion choice ten years or twenty years ago." She waved her arms up and down. "Loads of people must've worn them at one point in time."

"It's okay," Bridget replied, her head still depleted. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better."

The dragon bit her inner cheek before shrugging at the Guardians. She did all she could for the little morch.

North coughed, breaking the silence. "Anyvay, ve vere traveling over Wales, Scarlett."

"And I give ya mah permission to pass." Scarlett said with a witty wink.

"Yes, yes, but ve only vish to ask if you have saw anything suspicious flying about."

The woman's eyelids grew thinner. "You better not be askin' what I think yer askin' North."

All of the Guardians and human held serious looks at the dragon. They all knew what was to be asked.

"If you think goin' to lands of Éire is fine yer crazy." Scarlett pointed at them with a wild look. Bridget steped back nervously. "That-that crazed witch will get y'all in one swipe." Scarlett breathed heavily with her arms wide open. "That's how 'em children were taken and you too."

"So you have seen her?" Tooth asked with a finger under her chin.

Scarlett shook her head. "Not since that fated day the Tuatha Dé Danann fell, Toothiana. The last day they roamed the Emerald Isle was one I can't recall unfortunately."

Bridget titled her head in curiosity. "What happened? Didn't they end up being defeated by the Milesians?"

Scarlett scowled. "That's a lie! The Children of Danu fought long after those barbarians fled."

Bridget scrunched her face. "But I read they-" North cleared his throat, instructing Bridget to stop talking.

"Sorry," Bridget apologized with bow of her head. "I spoke out of turn."

Scarlett glowered before shifting back to her gigantic, reptilian size once more. "You bet your torc ye did. I am benevolent being, morch, I rarely get angry by a lot of things. But when you and your kin speak as though you were there from the times of old is what crosses me. Danu's children and grandchildren ruled Ireland for many generations before their time came. How it ended is almost forgotten to me, but I know that what those petty books mortals have written about are false."

The green dragon turned to the Guardians with a prudent look. "I warn you of the Phantom Queen and that's all I'll do. I won't stop you on yer quest but **SHE **will try to. What **S****HE** has plan I do not know but I know well enough when history is to repeat itself and **SHE **plans to do it again."

With one last look the dragon began to flap her wings and elevate from the ground. She hovered over the group for a second before she shot into the air and flew over the coastline, further into the Welsh landscape.

"That was…informative." Bridget shrugged at Jack's remark.

"But it vas for good reason." North clarified. "Scarlett must be frightened by the Morrígan to not even speak her name."

"But 'why' is the question here," Bunny added. "What could one goddess do that can make a dragon go all dramatic?"

"What I don't know is why did you cover my mouth earlier North?" Bridget asked.

"Oh that, vell if you hadn't already noticed but Scarlett is a green dragon, yes?"

Bridget nodded. "Vell she hates being reminded of the Welsh flag having a red dragon instead."

"Oh~ she hates being reminiscent of that," Tooth recalled with a smile. "It's actually a funny story now that I mention it. Apparently Scarlett use to eat a lot of sheep in the past and she was a messy eater to say politely." Bridget nearly paled when the image of sheep slaughtering appeared in her mind.

"So one day after eating a huge heard of sheep Coch-as Scarlett was called back then-was told she was to be seated for a portrait." Tooth continued the story as they all walked back to the sleigh. "But when Coch was told she was running late, Coch decided to skip cleaning up and went to the portrait sitting."

Bridget smiled lopsidedly when a thought came to her. "So I'm just spit-balling here, but I'm guessing when Coch got there and the painter thought she was a red dragon and not a green one."

Tooth nodded. "Exactly. And since that mistake, everyone in Wales thought that their protector was a **red **dragon and plastered it on their flag."

Bridget shook her head and laughed. "No wonder she looked upset when you called her Coch, North."

"A tongue slip on my part I'll admit." North said as he took the reins. "Now let's go to Ireland."

"What exactly might happen when we get there?" Jack asked with concern laced in his voice.

A silence fell on the group. Nightlight took out his writing book and wrote,

Whatever will happen, we will simply work over. After all, didn't Ombric once tell you North that we always abandon our plans and end up doing things we never imagined?

"Nightlight is right." North concurred. "Nothing ever goes according to plan but that never means ve fail anyvays."

The Guardians spoke their words of agreement while Sandy and Nightlight and Bridget smiled.

"Let us be off. I say ve might make it to Ireland by nightfall despite out talk vith Scarlett." North snapped the reins and in an instant the sleigh flew up in the air once more.

* * *

"-and that's why I know gardening thanks to this book I read in a high school in Utah." Bridget finished telling Tooth and Jack with collective interest.

"How odd for a Braille book to be an instruction manual about gardening." Tooth mused over with her fairies.

Bridget shrugged before saying, "It's not the worse book I read I'll tell you. But not as weird as the Tae Kwon-Do I read in 8th Grade."

"They had a book for the blind about fighting?" Jack asked in surprise.

"Had to learn self-defense one way or another." Bridget smirked, remembering her times of whacking crows and Jack with her cane.

Bunny shook his head. "If ya want to learn **proper **self-defense training, you should've come to me."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "I didn't meet you until a week ago, Bunny."

"Well will just fix that won't we." Bunny said with a grin. "If I can teach Frostbite manners and a few other things-" Jack glared at the pooka for some reason-"Surely I can tutor ya Big Ankle-biter the ways of Tai-Chi and loads of other martial arts in 189 Yolks."

Bridget and Jack looked confused. "What~?"

"Sorry I mean a seven days, human time. 27 Yolks is one human day and if you multiply it by 7-" Bunny corrected himself.

"Why do I get the feeling** I'm **missing out on something?" Jack said.

"Welcome to my world," Bridget whispered back.

"Everyone!" North called out, getting everybody's undivided attention. "Ve are arriving in Ireland shortly."

Darkness had already fallen over them but with Nightlight's moonbeam most of them could see a large black mass coming closer to their view.

"Hope I can grab a few four-leafed clovers for the kids." Bridget thought aloud with a smile.

"I can help with that," Jack offered.

Bridget smiled bashfully and gave him a nod. Jack looked over at Bunny as he eyed Bridget and back at the pooka. Bunny made a so-so or 'eh' gesture with his paw, earning a frown from the winter spirit.

Sandy nearly bobbed out of his seat as the sleigh approached Ireland. He recalled being on good terms with the Leprechaun and hoped he held the same feelings after the last time they met. The Guardian's gold eyes narrowed when he saw something blurry over the country. It was similar to glow of the Northern Lights only it was it shimmered with the color of dark red.

He tried to warn the others but Sandy was too late.

"Hey what's that-" Bridget tried to point out except the sleigh already passed through the layer of dark magic. An enormous thunderclap was heard and Bridget saw a red glow affect the Guardians. Most of them either wincing in pain or shrinking in Bunny's case. She looked at herself, wondering why she wasn't affected, but those thoughts went away when the sleigh started to tumble down.

"Whoa! North, guys!" Bridget tried to catch the reins that were free from North's hands then attempted to pull the sleigh back up. A flash appeared in her eyes as Bridget recalled pulling a wooden cart through a thunderstorm similar to the storm she was in now.

The redhead blinked in confusion briefly. She had no time left to register her thoughts after the sleigh crashed onto the earthy ground of Ireland.

* * *

**Q-A: **Boy, do I keep laying these cliffies or what? XD My apologies readers but this is far as I could go for this chapter. But at least I almost reach 30 pages again and over 10,000 words. But that's not the only good news.

Last Thursday I finally got RotG DVD! :D I'm so excited! I can't wait to show it to my folks. Or at least my mom and brother since they haven't seen it yet. I hope to watch it tonight with them. :D

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	16. United We

**Disclaimer: **Places and people mentioned that belong to other people are not mine. The same goes with song and story references. DreamWorks and **The Greater God of Moonbots **own RotG, not me.

* * *

_~United We…~_

For the growing count of sleigh crashes Bridget had been through, this one was by far the worst. There was hardly any snow on the ground so the landing was awfully rough and nearly everyone fell out of the sleigh, with exception of the redhead.

Bridget winced when her head accidently hit against the side of the sleigh while trying get up. Panic came over her when she noticed her egg-glasses weren't on her face. The redhead tried crawling down to look for them until she felt someone near her. A hand with her glasses touched her own and she thanked that person before putting the specs on.

Once the egg-glasses began to use their magic, Bridget saw that Nightlight was the one who helped her. "Thanks again." He offered a hand for her and she eagerly accepted it.

"Are you okay?" Bridget asked the spectral boy. Nightlight nodded.

"Мои дети! Come back!" Both the girl and boy turned to see North trying to call out to his retreating reindeer. Bridget climbed out of the sleigh when she saw that Tooth and Jack were on the ground.

"Jack! Tooth!" Bridget shook their shoulders and sighed in relief after they stood up.

Bridget swallowed nervously while looking at them worriedly. "You guys are okay right? No broken bones or-"

"We're fine Bridget," Jack insisted. "'Been through worse, trust me."

"My powers, they are kaput." North walked by them. Bridget opened her mouth slightly before she walked towards the former Cossack.

"What do you mean 'kaput?" Bridget helped Sandy up before continuing to follow North.

"I cannot make the sleigh fly anymore." North answered with an upset face. "And I feel myself vith leetle power."

Bridget gasped. "No, that can't be…"

"I can't fly!" North and Bridget turned around to see Tooth trying to flutter her wings with no success. Her Mini-fairies struggled as well. "Oh my poor little ones."

Baby Tooth and her sisters chirped sadly before Tooth embraced them.

Sandy attempted to form a plane for himself but when he threw dreamsand in the air it stopped glowing and fell to the ground like plain old sand.

Bridget gaped while her eyes widen in shock. She turned toward Jack and saw how he tried to call his wind and it never came. Nightlight clasped his staff in worry when he saw the dagger blinking like a weak light bulb and growing weaker by the second. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

"It must've been that red glow." Bridget turned to look at the sky. Above her the atmosphere shimmered that ugly red and rippled.

"That glow is some kind of wall," Jack noted after looking at the rest of the sky.

"Or a barrier." North suggested. "Ve must have struck it vhen flying."

"And it affected all of you," Bridget concluded. Her eyes darted about when she couldn't see a certain Australian gruff. "Where's Bunny?"

"Over 'ere Shelia." Bunny spoke with a repressed sigh. Everyone turned to where the sleigh was and looked in disbelief. Bridget felt her jaw drop at the sight she was beholding.

Bunny was no longer a 6'1", nerves of steel, master of Tai Chi, nor the ancient art of 'Crikey.' He was now a tiny rabbit. No boomerangs, arm braces, straps, or leggings. He was a little regular sized bunny rabbit.

"Bunny?" Bridget said eventually before falling to her knees at the mere shock that she looked upon.

The little bunny sighed. "Yeah it's me," he spoke in his recognizable accent, his voice left unchanged by the effects. "Take a long thought process on this one." Bunny scowled before saying, "I was already like this on Easter why do I have to go through with this again?"

"Oh. My. God. Bunny…" Bridget repeated. "You're. So….CUTE!" She squealed in joy until the redhead picked up a surprised Bunny. "Oh my God! I thought you were fluffy as a big bunny, but now you're even fluffier and tiny and cute~!"

Bunny hollered in surprise from the hug Bridget was giving him. "Oh, first Jamie now this?"

Bridget hugged the glowering Bunny until an idea came to her head. "Oh my God, North!" She ran over to the weaken Guardian and sighed happily while holding Bunny an inch from North's face.

"You should totally make stuff toys that look like this wittle guy." She nuzzled her face in Bunny's fur. "Children all over the world will love you forever. I mean look at how cute Bunny is. With the wittle cotton tail, his wittle tattoos, and those big green eyes."

Bridget squealed again before running towards Jack and Tooth. "Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

She held up the dizzy pooka, unaware of his current state and gave him another smothering hug.

Jack said nothing while still debating over whether to laugh at or feel sorry for Bunny's 'small' problem.

Tooth blinked twice. "He looks…squished."

Bridget got out of La-La Land long enough to notice Bunny grasping for air in a comical way. He was trying to climb out of her hold while raising a paw up. "Oops."

The redhead smiled awkwardly before she set the little pooka down on the ground. Bunny gasped for air while one paw rested on his chest. "You sure you aren't the bloody Jaws of Life that got reincarnated into a girl?"

Bridget placed her hands on her hips before saying, "Oh come now my hugging can't be all that bad. I just find you so adorable right now." She clasped her hands and cooed at the little bunny.

"And another thing," Bunny exclaimed with a paw pointed at Bridget. Little Bunnymund was attempting to glare at her the best way he could. "I'm not a 'wittle bunny.' I am the **Easter **Bunny, the last of the Pookan Brotherhood and to be treated as such!"

Bridget covered her mouth with her hands, doing her hardest to not squeal. Even when he was angry, Bunny was cute.

When the pooka noticed Bridget hiding her happy expression he frowned while crossing his arms. "You're not listening to word I'm saying."

Bridget shook her head and said, "I can never take you seriously ever again. **Ever**."

"Great~" Bunny deadpanned while his nose twitched.

Before anything else could be said a strong wind was heard through the air. Dark leaves flew along with the wind.

"Ugh," Bridget winced while covering her head. "What's with all these leaves? There are no trees around us at all."

"They aren't leaves," Tooth observed one of the supposed fronds. She gasped in shock after she inspected them carefully. They were black feathers.

The feather in Tooth's palm jerked away on its own and took to the air with dozens of feathers identical in color and shape. All of the plumages clustered together into a heap of down. Despite having the light from Nightlight's glimmering dagger and Jack's crook staff with its omitting blue glow, Bridget could clearly see what was forming in the mound thanks to her enchanted glasses.

A body was being made from the feathers.

The feathers quit shifting until a woman's frame was formed. The feathers made the figure look like she was in an inky dress with the edges ripped and ruffling. It was a long sleeve dress with it nearly covering the feathery hands. Bridget wished the sleeve covered the right hand when she saw the fingers were shaped like talons.

The plumage weaved, shifted, and moved around until a body was fully made. Feathers helped give the woman long hair that reached her back. The feathers near the head folded perfectly to angle the face. It was long and thin almond shaped face, with feathers veiled in red blood that became a pair of eyes. A powdery glamour made a row of feathers look like a circlet with Celtic spirals imprinted on it.

The form ceased forming until the body was finally shaped. No sound could be heard except for the uneasy breathing from the Guardians and human girl. The woman made out of plumage squinted. She strained her eyes while analyzing the people and environment before her. It was as if she was looking at the site of a potential battlefield.

"I was expecting more to honest," the woman finally spoke, her voice echoing across the clear, open land. She walked forward with grace while looking at each Guardian. "From resisting the Barrier's effects I mean," a ghost of a smile played on her face. "But you all bowed before it like little playthings discarded by neglectful children." Her eyes soon trained on one person. "All except for **you**."

Bridget paled when the Morrígan pointed her feather-claws at her. The Goddess of Death scowled before continuing, "You were not harmed in the slightest by my magic." In barely a second the Morrígan stood an inch away from her. The Guardians tried to charge at the woman, preparing to help their friend. Without even looking the Morrígan shot feathers from her left feather-hand and blasted the magic beings.

"Stop it," Bridget shouted. "You're hurting them!"

The Morrígan's eyes glared with intensity. "They deserve what's coming to them, along with the rest." She raised her arm to strike, but could not. Every time she lifted her arm the Morrígan felt a force preventing her from touching the girl. Her eyes flashed a mere second of shock when she saw the embroidery near the coat's hem.

Bridget frowned in confusion when she saw the Morrígan inch away. She breathed heavily and was forced to remove the feathers with her tired state. The black quills returned to the Morrígan with ease while the Guardians gasped for much needed air from their entombed confinements.

"How insulting!" The Morrígan heaved before the freed Guardians. "To have a whelping like **this**," a claw-feather hand pointed at Bridget's face. "Be stronger than you is a mockery. If it weren't for this human you would have been crushed by the sea cliffs instead of landing on the ground."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Well seeing how you took our powers doesn't help much."

"Silence you, Nordic Frost Giant!" The Morrígan glowered at the bewildered winter spirit. "All I took was the unnecessary power of flight from you all and still you faint like insects under my foot. Needing the help of this foul, putrid human is adding salt to the wound."

Bridget frowned, "Well there's no need for name calling."

"I wasn't ridiculing you, human, I was making an observation." The Morrígan spoke with a rare casual tone.

The redhead was angry. "Hey I don't," she pulled at her coat and sniffed before wincing away. "Good grief, I smell like something awful. Probably because I haven't had a shower in two days." Bridget looked at the Guardians with an accusing look. "And none of you said anything? C'mon, I may be a girl, but I can take criticism, guys."

"And what the Morrígan said," Jack offered dryly.

"That's different, she's the bad guy," Bridget explained. "No matter what she says I'll still be pissed off."

"ENOUGH!" Harsh winds blew around the Morrígan, her face full of fury. "I will not be **ignored**! Not now, not anymore!"

"See, she's making me angry already."

"For five thousand years I have been casted out from my domain of power. Attempting to reclaim the title I once held." The Morrígan step forward with each sentence being said.

"I slumbered at the failed mission for millennia afterwards. When that oaf you claim is your **Nightmare King** tipped the balance, did I finally awake. And what did I find? A world tainted by this race of _**Men **_I despised it from the start. Barely anyone recognizes my name, my sacred shrines…ruined. The greatest belief this world has is **you, **False Gods."

The Morrígan seethed as the winds started to die down. "You took my throne, made me forgotten, and gave the human race this idiotic notion of Dreams, Hopes, and Light can conquer anything. But that ideal is as false as you're beliefs in that pathetic race is.

"The world full of fear, hatred, and death, three things you can never take away, no matter how many lies you spread. A **reality** that can never be squandered from the rightful truth. Yet, you still are rewarded for this make-believing with awesome power. To see you, False Gods, with power granted by that," she glared at the unyielding moon that tried to break through the Barrier. "That, otherworldly force…it sickens me."

The Guardians glared at the embittered goddess.

"Despite its presence," the Morrígan turned her attention back to the Guardians and Bridget. "My power has been advancing with every death that touches every person. Feelings of Despair flourishing across the world made it even more so. Winter's Birth is when my full powers fully return, and with that returned power will I make the world as it should rightfully be."

"And vhat kind of vorld vould that be?" North crossed his arms while glaring darkly at the Morrígan.

"A world where you don't exist and my power returned, of course." The Morrígan smiled, her blood red eyes gleaming. Bridget winced slightly, remembering the toy bunny with the bloody feathers.

"You can't kill us," Bunny promised with all the bravery he could muster.

"I can't," the Morrígan agreed before smiling wickedly. "But the creature I shall release on the Winter Solstice **can**. That day will be such a glorious feast," she spoke with pleasure. "Your very essence devoured, it will be so fulfilling. And I think your little worshipers will make an excellent appetizer."

The Guardians had enough of the Morrígan's dark dreams. They shouted battle cries while preparing to charge. In less of a second, the feathered body collapsed and passed through the Guardians. None of the plumage touched Bridget as a green glow surrounded her. She eyed her coat and saw the shimmer having come from the Bríde's Crosses.

The feathers flew away into the night. Sal climbed out of his pocket and rested on Bridget's shoulder while she still held a look of awe from staring at the fabric. "Sal, remind me to **really **thank Ombric for this coat."

"How could this have happened?" North sat on a rock, demoralized. "Discarded like leetle ragdoll. Could not get one punch."

Bridget wanted to ask what North meant by that until she heard Bunny spoke up. "All them ankle-biters, takin' much too soon. That scut…she'll do it. She'll go after the kids." His ears drooped down as he hunched near the ground.

"She's just too powerful," Tooth knelt to the ground as well. She still cradled her Mini-fairies like a caring mother. "How can we even think of fighting her?"

Bridget turned over to the last three downhearted Guardians. She moaned in disbelief at their states of unhappiness. "Oh~ not you guys too."

"We couldn't even get one punch on her," Jack looked at the ground while clinging to his staff. He wasn't using his _Ultimate Emo-Hoodie 3000_, but the winter spirit might as well have. The two Silent Bobs of the group weren't in any better shape either.

Bridget held a look of wonderment until one of determination replaced it.

North was beside himself until he heard grunting and a loud noise coming from the sleigh. Soon all the Guardians looked over and, much to their surprise, saw Bridget (unsuccessfully) trying to pull the sleigh.

"Stupid sleigh being near the stupid cliff," Bridget gritted her teeth while tugging the sleigh's tongue. "Stupid reindeer leaving stupid me with these stupid manically depressed Guardians. Stupid moon making stupid prophecy, dragging stupid me to get on stupid quest to stop stupid Crow Lady…stupid, stupid, stupid."

"Leetle Girl," North and the others walked over to Bridget, all holding surprised looks. "Vhat are you doing?"

Bridget gasped and glared at the hands-resting-on-his-hips North. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting the stupid sleigh from falling off the stupid cliff and gonna get you all from being all stupidly manically depressed!" She panted heavily while looking at the Legendaries with wide eyes. "And let's not forget the stupid prophecy thingy of stupid me having to help stupid you stop the stupid Crow Lady," she spoke with her teeth clenched and balling her hands into fits.

Reality sunk into Bridget as her eyes widened in absolute horror at what she did. "Oh God, I didn't mean to snap." She waved her hands in front of herself, her face flushing red. "I didn't know what I was saying. Honest!" The redhead frowned slightly before admitting, "Okay I **did **know a little of what I was spewing out but give me a break, you're all acting like a bunch of wimpos."

"The Morrígan is too powerful." North said while looking at his hands. "Ve cannot face her vithout our powers."

"Didn't she say she only took your power of flight?" Bridget leaned in, her face inches away from North's. She looked at the others. "Well~ didn't she?"

They all had uncomfortable looks and none of them looked at Bridget directly.

"Really all she did was cover you guys in feathers. It's not like she…" Her eyes widened when thoughts and previous citations from the past.

_North read a recently made note from the glowing young man. "'She makes you feel every unhappy feeling inside and out.'" _

Bridget's eyes widened in shock and realization. "She made act like this," Bridget muttered breathlessly. "The feathers they make people…" Her gray eyes broadened more before quickly exclaiming, "Snap out of it you guys! It's just the Morrígan using her magic on you guys. What am I suppose to do? Give all of you anti-depressants?"

Slowly something trickled inside Bridget's mind as a thought processed through.

_But they were united under one cause..._

_"Duh,"_ Bridget thought. _"Why didn't I just remember that from the start."_

"Do you all know why I believe in you?" The Guardians were a bit surprised to be hearing that from Bridget, knowing how serious the situation was.

"Because we give little ankle-biters gifts?" Bunny suggested uncertainly.

The girl shook her head, her red braid twisting left and right. "No…well yes, but not the reason you think. Because, because you do all of those things and don't care what others say."

Now the Guardians were much more than surprised.

"I think you lost us there." Jack tilted his head in confusion.

"Don't you guys get it? You make children all over the world happy." Bridget spread out her arms while saying it. "You're all united under that one cause. At least that's what this book I read when I was a kid told me." She smiled knowingly. "All of you did the impossible by making kids happy and giving them something to believe in. Most of the time you even taught them that giving to others is better than receiving and a whole lot better morals to teach. And did any of you cared when fuddy-duddy adults said otherwise? No, you didn't care. Because you **knew** you could do the impossible.

"You didn't care if someone said you couldn't make reindeer fly and have enough toys for every kid on the planet." Bridget spoke directly at North.

"You didn't care if somebody said a bunny can't paint eggs or hide them all in one night," she kneeled at Bunny with her eyes staring through his green ones.

"You didn't care if a person said fairies don't exist and collect teeth for the payment of a little coin." The human rubbed Baby Tooth's head while she spoke those words to Tooth.

"You didn't care if a guy said dreams were made up in your head and not by a sleepy little man." Sandy blinked twice while Bridget spoke, absorbing her words.

"You didn't care if people said light came from the sun and moon," the redhead spoke to Nightlight while glancing at the blinking dagger.

Bridget walked over to where Jack stood with his head bowing slightly. She looked at him sadly before placing a hand on his shoulder. "You…you did care about what others said about you. But it wasn't the adults you worried over it was the kids. You cared about what they said from the start. And that's what made you strong, Jack. You wanted them to believe in something your whole…existence."

She looked directly at all of the Guardians now. "That's what you cared about too. You cared about what the children believed in. You wanted them to believe in something wonderful and extraordinary, and that ended up being all of you. But it wasn't the magic I believed in or the gifts, or powers you all wield but the fact that you cared. You cared so much for the children and nothing else. That is what united you all under one cause. You wanted the kids to believe in something that brought a smile to their face."

Bridget smiled sadly before adding, "A belief that a little blind orphan had was to see and be wanted from a family. No one ever spoke it directly but I felt what he or she knew. I couldn't get a family or my eyesight it would be impossible. But they also said it was impossible for a man to deliver presents to children on Christmas Eve. They said it was impossible for dreams, money, eggs or snow, and light to be from just a small handful of five wonderful people, or seven if you count beautiful stories being passed down as well and light for the most part.

"So it makes that little blind orphan wonder, 'Why would people want to tear down a wonderful idea of six or more beings who make children happy for their sake?' 'Why should they believe that I couldn't see or have a home?' When she got those thoughts in her head it made her realize something. Just because someone says it can't be done doesn't mean it cannot. After that it made me not question that kind of belief in children and I me. After from I experienced I just figured that people should believe whatever they want as long as it makes them happy and doesn't hurt anyone else."

Bridget breathed in and exhaled before finishing up. "And from what I can tell after meeting you all, none of you wish to hurt the children. Which is why I was so ticked when you all considered giving up. The Morrígan wants to hurt children; her belief is to see the world be dead and lifeless. That kind of belief is something you shouldn't stand for. So she took some of your gifts, big deal. It wasn't the gifts that made you who you are; it was the **belief** in children that made you special."

She glanced up into the sky where the Barrier covered moon was. "It must be the reason he chose you. Sure protecting kids is fine and dandy, but you had to believe in them strongly enough for that to happen. And you believed in them because of it. From all your work, you knew what their hopes, dreams, and wishes were and encouraged that they should fallow those dreams. Well right now, you need to believe in what you can do before telling others what they can do first. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. That's why I believe in you; you care, believe, and dream of a better life for children."

Bridget held her right wrist and looked at her torc. "That's what I believe in and my other wishes too. So what's yours?"

Sandy stood up from his sitting spot and sauntered to where Bridget stood. With tear-filled eyes he opened his arms widely. Bridget knelt down and returned the embrace. But before she could finish it a small presence joined them. Little Bunny squeezed himself into the hug and wrapped his little arms the best way he could. Tooth wiped a few tears away before she and her Mini-fairies nestled into the hug. Nightlight joined them with his thinly arms over his friends. Jack placed his staff down before he, slowly, got into the embrace. Finally North welded into the hug and picked up the whole group with much ease. They gasped in surprise before North put them down.

"Vell at least I can still lift you all and sabers." North said with a chuckle as he duke one before throwing it in the air and catching it again.

"And Toothy and I both got our legs for walkin'." Bunny thumped his foot to the ground for emphasis.

"Not to mention it's been a long time since I ever really got to use them." Tooth added with a smile. Her Mini-fairies chirped hopefully.

"And I bet you can still make people drowsy, Sandy," Bridget offered Sal on the palm of her hand. Sandy rubbed his hands over the amphibian and, much to their collective joy, saw the little salamander blink its eyes before falling to sleep.

"You can still glow right?" Bridget asked Nightlight but knew the answer from his shimmering armor and dagger. "Those crows won't know what hit 'em."

Nightlight smiled.

"You can still make snow and frost right, Jack **Frost**?" Jack glanced over at his staff and tapped it to the ground. Both of the adolescents smiled in relief as the familiar, but gorgeous, frost patterns grew on the ground.

"Well there ya go." Bridget smiled lopsidedly, "The Morrígan didn't take everything from you."

"It felt like it," North admitted before hugging Bridget again. "Thank you for reminding us of vhat ve have and who ve are."

Bridget returned the hug and modestly said, "All you needed was someone to remind you is all. That's the magic of having a friend there for you." _"Great now I sound like one of my old school consolers." _

"Yippa," North slapped his knee after the hug ended. "I say ve go after the Morrígan and show her who the employer is."

Jack sighed while face palming. "That's 'boss,' North. '**Boss.**'"

Tooth giggled, her fairies joining in. "Looks like we're turning back to our normal, happy selves."

"And normal would be exactly?" Bunny pointed at his small, furry self. "I'm not happy right now."

Bridget snickered before declaring, "Oh being normal is vastly overrated. I should know." She gave Jack a knowing glance.

"Let's go!" North made his order while pointing at a nearby road.

"What about the sleigh?" Bridget asked.

"Ve'll need to hide it someplace safe so no one vill find it." North declared while pulling on the sleigh's tongue. He made it look easy and even got it to move a few inches away from the cliff. Bridget pouted while crossing her arms.

"Probably wouldn't have moved it until I pulled at it first."

"Indeed so, Leetle Girl," North patted her back. "More vays then one."

Bridget smiled bashfully while smiling in embarrassment. She wiped her nose while laughing sheepishly. She sputtered a few incoherent words before saying she was going into the sleigh to get her bag.

Jack walked over to North while the former bandit held a calculating look on the redhead. "My first thought for Leetle Girl vas that Manny chose her for her knowledge of Celt gods. But now I think I know real reason."

Jack held his breath with worry. "You do."

"Aye," North smiled. "Leetle Girl is meant to be our personal believer." The other Guardians called out in agreement.

"_At least he didn't mention anything fire related." _Jack smiled in relief. "Yeah, I guess MiM chose well."

North shook his head. "No Jack, you did."

Jack opened his mouth to say something until Bridget shouted, "I can't find my backpack!" She held a look full of panic while shoveling through the sleigh's back seat.

"Hey slow down," Jack offered a hand. He pulled Bridget up before he continued. "I'm sure it's somewhere around here."

Bridget's head quivered. "No, I looked everywhere. This is like my third time looking."

"Don't worry," Tooth piped in. "Jack's probably right. It should still be in the sleigh."

"'Probably?'" Bridget air-quoted in fear.

"Toothy's kidding," North reassured shakily. "Bag should be fine."

"You don't understand," Bridget exclaimed. "My backpack was enchanted by Ombric to become a 'infinite bag' or whatever-"

"Infinity bag," North offered.

"Yeah that. Ombric made it into an infinity bag. He even told me he succeeded in fixing the problem of the bag weighing as much as whatever it contained-but that's not the point. The point is all of the books Mr. Qwerty gave us for the journey are in the bag!"

It didn't take long after until everyone started searching the sleigh.

"Why would that bloody bug put an entire library in one spot?" Bunny grunted while pushing a can of preserved apricots away.

"It's not the **whole **library," Bridget sighed as she took the can and put it out of the sleigh, away from it getting accidently damaged by the hurrying Guardians. "Just the remaining books on Tuatha Dé Danann that weren't taken by Katherine. And the first aid kit **and **my things were in it." She slapped herself disgruntled. "Why did I keep them all one place, I ask myself."

"Hey guys!" Jack called outside of the sleigh. He and Sandy stood perfectly near the cliffs' edge, waiting for the others to follow. "I think Sandy and me found Bridget's bag."

They peered over and gasped when they saw the bag. It was resting on a narrow shelf of land, several feet away from any of them to reach.

"What. Are. The. Odds?" Bridget sighed.

* * *

"Easy, easy, whoa I say easy," North grunted while pulling on a rope. He, along with Jack, Tooth, and Nightlight held onto the rope that was tied around Sandy's waist while he was being send downward to get the bag. Over a-freaking-150 foot cliff.

Bridget and Bunny were safely sitting a few feet away from the others with both of them sharing unamused looks at the scene before them.

"This has got to be one of the dumbest things I've seen so far. And I saw North challenge Sandy to an eggnog drinking contest three days ago, back in Santoff Claussen," Bridget said with a hand under her chin. "But Sandy be used as a claw crane is the ultimate dumb."

"Another reason why it's hard for me to understand people." Bunny claimed. "Blokes like North in general."

Bridget snorted slightly, finding Bunny's rivalry with North almost as funny as his rivalry with Jack.

"I'm sorry, you know, about the whole hugging thing earlier." Bridget really was sorry for it.

"Not your fault ya Big Ankle-biter," Bunny shrugged. "Problem for me is that I just loss some dignity from that ungodly experience."

"I can't help it if you're a cute wittle bunny," Bridget replied in a squeaky voice, earning a growl. "Well there's no need to snarl at me."

"Dunno what yer talking about. You're the one who's being peckish with yer stomach growling."

Bridget raised her eyebrows. "I'm not hungry."

Bunny's eyes narrowed. "Well if that wasn't you, and it certainly wasn't me…then-"

Both the pooka and human turned to see over the horizon where the noise was emitting. Three clear howls could be heard as snarling also came from that direction.

Bridget swallowed and turned toward Bunny. His tiny body shook as his eyes widened. He tried tremendously from giving into his rabbit instincts.

"Uh, guys." Bridget tried calling out to the other Guardians, but it was too late. The three wolves began their charge and headed straight for Bunnymund.

"Crikey!" Bunny hopped away, desperate to get the wolves off of his tail. Literally. "The dingoes are coming! The dingoes are coming! The dingoes are **coming!**"

"Oh god, BUNNY!" Bridget ran right after, ignoring the calls from the others. Her urge to protect her friend took over her conscience as Bridget followed the four speeding creatures with the best of her abilities.

"Seriously how can any of this," a pant. "Make any sense? Wolves have been extinct from Ireland for centuries."

"_Or they might not be wolves at all. Probably some wild dogs or…I can barely see a thing in this inky blackness, even with these glasses on." _ Her pace slowed down when she thought of something. Something very unexpected in herself and very, very stupid.

* * *

The homunculi wolves trailed the pooka with agility and precision. The Great Queen herself gave them the mission to prevent the False Gods to advance on their so-called quest.

The last thing she needed was for the False Gods to arrive at the ritual prematurely and ruin everything. She even aimed for them to be weakened by her Despair spell. The very spell she casted on the feathers she enclosed them in, but it would seem that human wench had other plans.

Not only did that little human risen their spirits, and brought those damned sparks within them ignited again, but gave them the desire to continue on with their crusade. A crusade she did not want to happen early. Much to her frustration, the Morrígan realized that if she wanted something done, she had to physically be there to get it done, or at least stall things long enough until it would all come according to plan. That is what exactly the voice in her head told the Morrígan anyway.

While a mile or so, away from the False Gods' crashed site stood a lone figure. The same place where the figure orchestrated her feather puppet, the Morrígan used a dagger to cut into the palm of her left hand. After drawing barely an ounce of blood the Morrígan flicked the droplets onto the ground. The blood on her hand slowly evaporated while the cut slowly shrunk and vanished altogether.

The Morrígan hunched to the ground, without kneeling, and spoke an incantation. Within moments the small droplets began to spread until small puddles started to bubble. The bubbling grew as three objects began to form from the blood. Snarling and growls were heard as the heads, bodies, tails, and legs of three blood red wolves were made.

The Morrígan smirked from her successful spell casting. In an eerie voice she spoke in the ancient language of her people. "Beasts from my blood, I beseech you to avenge me." She pointed toward the direction of the crash site. "There is a little rodent over yonder thou must…seek out. Do not kill, simply exert thy-selves and the False God and subdue him." The Morrígan turned her head and shouted, "Go and do my bidding!"

The blood-wolves barked and ran down, obeying their master's orders.

* * *

Bunny was almost running out of breath and tired of running around in circles. It was moments like the one he was in that made him wish he still made chocolate. And ate some of that said chocolate and become that awesome alter ego: a massive, muscular warrior with six arms, three on each side with multiple swords.

_Oh_ _yeah_, that was such a cool form. Too bad the last time he tried that it permanently made him the warrior pooka he became the most familiar with. Luckily he wasn't stuck with the six arms. The arms would probably make egg painting more efficient, but little kids might not take a liking to such a bizarre looking rabbit.

The wolves were closing in as Bunny tried to hide in a small dale ahead of them. Unfortunately for Bunny these blood-wolves were still a lot like real ones with being able to smell anything a mile away. So him hiding a few yards away was futile.

The Alpha blood-wolf salivated when it was a foot away from where Bunny was and prepared to pounce. Its plans changed when he felt a great burning pain on its tail. The wolf turned around to see a patch of its fur and tail being singed off by fire! The wolf jumped around helplessly while its companions did not know how to react at the situation.

* * *

Bridget puffed slightly from shooting the fireball and lazily smiled at seeing the wolf was hit. _"I didn't think my aim would be that good. Or it being that strong or my fire going that far for that matter. Odd, I don't think it's been that strong actually. Now that I-oh-oh…" _Oh-oh was right when the wolf was no longer on fire after it dropped and rolled on the ground. But the worst was when the pack saw Bridget and snarled angrily at her.

"_Well I'll give these wolves credit, they aren't stupid animals," _Bridget thought while trying her best to run away. The problem for Bridget was while she was bigger than Bunny; she wasn't as strong or fast as he was. The wolves had no problem following her and were gaining up too. She didn't see where she was going and tripped on a loose rock.

Bridget screamed in protest when the wolves came onto her. She did her best to defend herself by kicking their muzzles, preventing them momentarily from biting her. She also punched them with the best of her abilities but it wasn't enough. She couldn't summon her fire as most of it was used on the Alpha earlier. Bridget cried in pain when she felt a wolf shred her pants and bite her leg. Tears fell down her face as she wished for it to end. Seconds passed and she got her wish.

The sound of pounding hooves was heard as snorting came from an animal. The wolves immediately backed off before charging at the new creature. Bridget opened her eyes wearily and was surprise to see Petrov attacking the wolves with both his hooves and antlers. She smiled weakly when Petrov pounded a hoof on a wolf's tail and it howled in pain. As soon as it started the wolves whimpered and slowly fell back.

Petrov charged them for a few feet before he pounded his front hooves to the ground. He watched their retreating forms and snorted loudly at their direction. He made a triumphant nod before heading back to his fallen friend. Bridget was still lying on the ground with her face up. Petrov could hear her breathing being unsteady making his eyes glisten with worry. He brought his snout to her face and nuzzled her gently, hoping she would open her eyes.

Bridget felt sore all over her body with her left leg being reserved with an even greater pain. The only feeling that wasn't hurting her was the touch of something fuzzy and a little wet on her right cheek. When she opened her gray eyes finally she was bombarded with the face of a reindeer. His fur was a dark brown on his whole body with the soul exception on his rear end with a white fluffy tail. She knew right away who it was.

"Petrov," Bridget said tiredly. If reindeer couldn't smile Petrov almost proved it wrong with his ears wiggling and opened his mouth halfway while his black-brown eyes twinkled. His breathing quickened excitedly causing Bridget to laugh from it hitting her face. "You came back. For me?" She tried to get up but the very moment she placed the slightest pressure on her left foot her body was pained with what felt like a million needles all over her leg. Petrov snorted in concern as he stepped back slightly, unsure of what to do for the girl.

Seeing Petrov's distressed face Bridget raised a hand and calmly said, "I'm fine. It's just a scratch." She gave him a false smile while she pushed her leg slowly to keep in straight.

Soon footsteps could be heard when the two mammals turned to the Guardians running to where they were.

"Here we go," Bridget sighed, not happy for the impending explanations she'll need to come up with to explain what had happened.

"Bridget!" Bunny hopped over with him landing on her lap. His green eyes were gleaming with both concern and relief. "You all right?"

The redhead ignored the searing pain in her leg and nodded. "Then why did you go and do that huh?" The pooka sounded frustrated.

Bridget smiled uneasily while Bunny continued ranting. "Of all the dumbest I've seen anybody do that was the worst. Were you trying to give me a heart attack? And the fact my heart beats faster than a human's is pushing it!"

"Now, now Bunny," North soothed the angry pooka and picked him up from Bridget's lap. "Let us not overvhelm her." A few seconds passed until North shouted, "Vhat do you think you vere doing?! Leaving us to go after hungry volves? To save Bunny I can understand, but even I know vhat is brave and vhat isn't!"

Bridget paled slightly from the yelling and winced slightly. "Oh now you're just as bad as Bunny, North," Tooth scolded at the Guardian of Wonder. "She needs to be nurtured and calmly looked over."

Bridget sighed in relief until Tooth squeezed in a tight embrace. "We were so worried about you! We would've come for you and Bunny but we had to get Sandy from the cliffs and-" Tooth continued in her normal fast-paced talk while Bridget suffocated from the feathers covering her mouth.

"Uh, Tooth." The Tooth Fairy quit talking when Jack called out. He smiled uneasily before saying, "I think Bridget looks squished right now."

Tooth quickly noticed Bridget's redden face and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, Wisdom Tooth." She step away slightly, giving Bridget some much needed air to breathe.

"You okay," Jack bended down one knee making him look over Bridget but still met her eye level.

Bridget nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Nightlight walked over and offered a hand. She declined.

"C'mon," Jack smiled. "Let me help-"

"No seriously," Bridget waved her hands. "I'm good. I don't need-" Nightlight helped her up anyway, earning a painful groan and half-scream from Bridget.

"What's wrong?" Jack clasped her shoulders before she could fall. The redhead winced before reluctantly showing her ripped pants and wounded leg.

Tooth gasped, "You're hurt!"

"How did this happen?" North asked while Jack was putting Bridget down again.

"The wolves," Bridget winced from the leg as it touched the ground. "One of them bit my leg."

"But vhy hide this from us?" Bridget didn't say anything when she groaned before passing out.

"Bridget?" Jack's eyes widen when he couldn't get her to wake up. "Bridget!"

* * *

The wolves whined as they returned to the Morrígan's mound. The pack winced when she appeared before them, a scowl painted on her features. "Why do I not see that False God's blood on you!"

She grabbed a muzzled and cursed, "You didn't even scratch the damned beast at all, did you?"

The wolf whimpered when the Morrígan's bore into its eyes. Slowly, right before the other wolves' eyes, their Alpha disintegrated into a fine red powder.

The Morrígan smirked before she snapped her fingers, turning the last two into powder as well. "Never send mutts to do a crow's job...yes it was a foolish choice. I should've thought things through."

The unhappy Morrígan turned toward the ceiling where the crows rested and point to one. "You, Aingeal an Bháis!"

The current general cawed in response. "Yes, Your Radiance."

"You and a small flock go and do reconnaissance on the False Gods," the goddess ordered. "But be discrete," she warned with a raised clawed right finger. "If they are aware of your presence, the False Gods will wish to travel more swiftly and ruin my plans because of it."

"Mistress," Aingeal spoke aloud. "If I may ask but what is that article on the floor near your feet?"

The Morrígan furrowed her eyebrows before she looked down. Much to her surprise she did spy an article of clothing on the ground. Most likely one of the wolves held it in its mouth. She gingerly held the dark green material near her face and sniffed it. The goddess jerked away when she recognized the scent.

"It's the smell of that little whelp," she nearly discarded the cloth until she further inspected a darker coloring in it. "Blood….hmm, this might just make use for me after all." The Morrígan smirked before walking off.

The crows looked at each other in confusion before one of them shrugged.

* * *

"-all I'm saying is that if we took the main road we'd be sitting ducks and attract too much attention." Bunnymund's voice was heard slightly from Bridget as she was waking in and out of sleep.

"Attract vhat attention?" North laughed heartily. "Nobody, minus believers, can see us."

"That's what I'm talkin' about," Bunny warned. "Kids can see and'll ask questions from their folks. Not to mention a lot of people will notice a kid being carried on a-"

"Bunny, North." Tooth's voice spoke up. "I think she's waking up."

Bridget breathed out and finally opened her heavy eyes. Her glasses were still on so she could see the open sky before her. Even with the Barrier up, Bridget could see many stars grace the heavens with their twinkling glow fading away with an orange horizon following it.

Bridget's eyesight was fine along with her ability to feel with the ground before her shaking slightly. Her left leg felt numb as she saw it was covered with a large white cloth.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake," Tooth sighed in relief as she sat near Bridget. "We didn't know when you'd wake up."

Bridget rubbed her eyes and spoke in hoarse voice, "How long was I out?"

"All of last night," North answered. "It is already early morning."

The redhead grumbled something before trying to push herself up. "Oh, no you don't." Tooth sent Bridget lying down again. "You need to rest and the last thing you would want to do is put any pressure on that leg of yours, Wisdom Tooth."

Bridget sighed in protest before muttering, "Fine." Her eyes darted around and noticed the slow-moving sky above her and titled her head. "Okay how are we moving?"

"Ve found driftvood near cliffs after you fainted and hid sleigh in a cave by the cliffs." North said, "I put harness on Petrov and he vas more than happy to pull vith rope so you didn't need to move. I've been leading him ever since."

Bridget craned her head and did see the reindeer behind her pulling on the large makeshift sleigh out of driftwood.

"And the improvised cast," Bridget pointed at her left leg.

"When we fished Sandy and your backpack we used items found in the emergency kit and cleaned up your leg the best we could," Tooth answered. "My Mini-fairies have been very helpful through the whole procedure with them hardly leaving your side at all." She smiled.

Bridget glanced up near her head to see all them sitting near her. They chirped excitedly when they saw Bridget look at them and scurried around by her braid. She laughed at their cuteness and concern. "Glad you guys worried for me."

Bunny 'oh-ed'. He sat on Petrov's back while grinning. "Not entirely true, Shelia. Jack was very worried too."

Bridget felt her face redden. "He was…?"

"Of course," North nearly shouted. "Poor Jack Frost vas beside himself whole time you vere knocked out." He turned to show his thumb and index finger almost touching and said, "He vas **this** close to going after volves to make ice sculptures out of them. After you left to help Bunny and vhen he saw your vounded leg."

Bridget swallowed and turned her head away. To her right she saw Sandy sitting with her bag and drew something on a sketchbook. He turned it around to show a simple drawing of her and (what she assumed) Jack leaning in toward each other while a heart was drawn in the background. That little joker grinned a Cheshire grin and soon made kissy faces too.

Bridget held a pained look on her face and turned away once more, this time staring right at the sky. "You all are terrible."

"Aww," North chided. "It's not our fault you both have an unspoken attraction."

The remaining Guardians chuckled as Bridget frowned. "Shouldn't Cupid be the one trying to mess in with my…l-word life?"

"Why," Tooth asked with a cheeky grin. "You want us to call him instead?"

"NO!" Bridget's face burned a deeper red than before. "No, there's no need to bring him out I think."

The Guardians laughed once more at Bridget's behavior. She pouted in irritation and wanted to change the subject. The last thing she wanted was for any of them to decide whether bringing the God of Love to Ireland would be a good idea or not. "Where are Jack and Nightlight? I haven't heard from those two."

"They vent ahead of us to see the town ve should be heading close to." North explained. He chuckled before saying "And here they are right now."

Over a hilltop came two figures, both carrying two Sheppard's crook staffs in hand. One glowed like a star while the other held a glow in his staff.

"Jack, Nightlight!" North called out after pushing Petrov to a halt. "Good to be seeing of you."

The winter spirit smiled while glancing at Bridget's way. "Hey Bridget."

She smiled slightly while trying to ignore the little giggling chirps from the Mini-fairies. "Hi."

"So vhat news do you bring?" North asked with a hand on his hip.

"There's a town half mile away on this road," Jack answered and gestured at the far away road with his staff. "I think the sign called it Wexford."

"Ah, Vexford," North sighed in nostalgia. "A nice place. Great people."

"Is that where the Leprechaun lives?" Bridget asked.

"No, he spends time in Dublin during the Vinter Season." North recalled. "But at least ve now know where ve are exactly."

"Yeah a good 80-plus miles **south** of Dublin," Bunny grumbled.

Tooth gave the pooka a sympathetic look. "It'll be fine. We've been through a lot worse. Beside what we need to focus on is Bridget getting some better medical supplies than what the kit had."

Bridget hunched slightly in worry. "Oh no, you guys aren't taking me to a hospital. I've spent too much time to know what it's really like there."

"We have no choice," Jack tried to reason. "You need someone to look over your leg."

"As much as I hate to say it, but I think Bridget is right," Tooth said.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "What? Are you crazy? Bridget needs to be looked after and-"

"And what?" Bunny interjected. "Have all of them doctors look over her and ask questions like, 'How did you get this bite?' 'Where are your parents?' And my favorite, 'Since you're an American, why don't let us look at your old Med Files and passport?'"

Jack sighed in frustration and turned away. North sighed before placing a hand on the younger Guardian's shoulder. "Jack, your intentions are in the right direction and ve appreciate your concern for," he glanced over at Bridget's leg. "Proper medical attention, but for Bridget's sake and of the mission, ve must lay low for now. Not to mention take care of Bridget ourselves."

He turned to Bridget with a hopeful glance. "If that is all right for you, Leetle Girl."

Bridget shrugged. "It's not like I came to Ireland legally anyways. I don't want people to find out about that either."

"I guess we don't have much of a choice," Jack said bitterly.

"Good then," North clapped his hands. "Let's get going and find a place to rest Leetle Girl vhy ve go find supplies."

"Do you really need that?" Bridget asked while crossing her arms. "Couldn't you heal me with some ancient _Deus ex Machina _or a _MacGuffin _plot device to remove the wolf bite?"

Most the Guardians, except Jack, held very confused expressions.

"I didn't understand any of that," Tooth whispered to North but Bridget heard anyway.

"I mean, couldn't you use your magic to heal me?" Bridget clarified.

North laughed out loud before saying, "Magic doesn't vork like that!"

Bridget gave them all a blank look. "Let get this straight. You can use magic to fly, make dreams, glow, create snow, and fly and control a gigantic, badass looking sleigh, plus reindeer. But the concept of using magic to heal a bite wound eludes you?"

"It's not that it doesn't. Only that ve, as the Guardians, do not know the ancient vays to heal someone vith magic. Only a real few can, like Ombric and perhaps Man in Moon."

Bridget frowned. "I don't know what hurts more. My leg or my brain."

"Perhaps we should get some aspirin too?" Tooth suggested in good humor.

"From where?"

"Vhy a pharmacy of course." North said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"How are you gonna go to one of those places?" Bridget asked skeptically. "No adult can see you. Plus it's probably too early for a pharmacy to be open."

"We'll just go in, leave some coins from Tooth, and take our things and journey back to where you are." Bunny suggested after hopping onto Bridget's stomach.

The redhead shook her head. She grabbed Bunny and said, "Oh~ no you guys are not going to steal anything on my watch."

"Ve are not stealing if you leave money behind." North tried to reason.

"Still not a good idea. What if someone didn't find the cash and thought the medicine was stolen? That last thing I want is for you guys to… give me apple dippers go with the jelly beans," golden covered her face as the objects she mentioned shimmered above Bridget's head and she passed out once more.

"Sandy," North held his arms akimbo. "That vasn't very nice. She still had more to nag about."

Sandy rolled his eyes and wrote on the sketchbook saying,

Bridget needs to rest. Her worrying will make her too stressed to sleep. Trust me, I know these things.

"Uh blokes and shelias," everyone turned to see Bunny was still held down by Bridget only that she was holding him in a tight hug. "Someone get me out of this."

"Aww," Tooth cooed. "I think Bunny just volunteered to look after Bridget while we go to get her medicine."

"What?!" Bunny's eyes widen.

"Leetle Girl might be right about making a toy Bunnymund." North chuckled while Bunny gave him a death glare.

"Over my dead body," Bunny warned.

"Jack," North began while placing both hands on Jack's shoulders. "You stay here vith Bunny and Bridget. Keep them safe."

"You got it," Jack fought a smirk while saluting the former Cossack.

"Anyone listening to what I'm saying?" Bunny asked pleadingly.

Nightlight shrugged and offered a smile before he joined the others leaving for Wexford. Petrov sat down to rest while Jack leaned his back on the reindeer's side. He rested a hand under his chin while holding his staff in the other hand. He smirked while watching the unconscious Bridget smile in her sleep and snuggle Bunny some more.

The pooka glared while seeing Jack. "What are you so happy about?"

"You were right Bunny," Jack spoke smugly. "Girls really **do** like fluffy bunnies."

"Oh rack off!"

* * *

**Q-A: **Phew! That took a lot of steam from me and most of my Easter morning and afternoon. But totally worth it! ;)** Hope **your Easters are as good as mine has been. Later I will try to watch RotG with my mom again since it's Easter and all and it's technically a movie about Easter. XD Thanks so much for the large reviews I've been getting. Even the ones from all of those _Guests_ whoever they are.

_**READ THIS: **_Just to warn you all I might not do an update next week with my dad taking my computer tomorrow and I have to go for a college trip during the weekend so yeah. Thought you'd like to know that. Just to warn you all.

Happy Easter!

Мои дети! –My children!

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	17. Get Well (water) Soon!

**Disclaimer: **Places and people mentioned that belong to other people are not mine. The same goes with song and story references. DreamWorks and The Greater God of Moonbots own RotG, not me.

* * *

_~Get Well (water) Soon!~_

_Rain in Burgess wasn't uncommon in the fall with there always being large snow days in the season after. It never became a problem for anyone since not many events were planned, but all was not fair on this one particular rainy afternoon._

"_I can't believe it's raining on Halloween, on all nights," Jamie complained while angrily closing the curtains of his living room._

"_How are we gonna get any free candy through all of that?" Caleb asked while he crossed his arms. Jamie had invited his friends over to discuss possible Trick or Treating routes to go on, but the unexpected change in weather ruined their plans._

"_Is candy all you ever think about?" Pippa asked cynically._

"_No, I also think how cool it would be if I had the Sandman's sand-whips." Caleb's twin brother, Claude, gave him a fist-pump in approval while the others voiced their agreements as well._

_An older voice spoke up. "Well it's nice to know he has his priorities straight. You gotta give 'im that Pippa." _

_The kids turned and became aware of Bridget being in the room with them. She was sitting with her legs curled in brown armchair. She was reading the collective works of _Edgar Allen Poe's _poetry in Braille. A fitting piece of literature for time of year and the mood the atmosphere was in._

"_Oh," Jamie frowned in embarrassment. "Sorry Bridget I forgot you were in here too."_

_The redhead smiled reassuringly before flipping a page. "I get that a lot. So why are you all down in the dumps huh? When I was expecting my first time of actually baby-sitting I thought there would be something fun going on."_

_It was true since Carol finally listened to her son's pleas (and learning of Jessica's apparent walk out of a baby-sitting). It was then that Carol decided to allow Jessica to have the night off. She sounded rather happy about for some reason, Carol told Bridget before they left for work and school respectively. _

"_Well there isn't really much to do now with the rain cancelling our Trick or Treating plans." Jamie replied. _

"_A little rain never hurt anybody," Bridget said with good cheer._

"_But with all this rain we can't go outside to go have fun like we always do on Halloween," Monty replied reasonably._

"_That didn't stop people from enjoying _Samhain_." It wasn't long until Bridget heard most of the kids speak out their confusion. _

"_Sam-what?" Claude arched an eyebrow._

_Jamie giggled, "Sam__**hain**__. It's a holiday the Celts use to celebrate on October 31__st__."_

_Bridget nodded, "Indeed it is my fellow 'Fantasy-Fanatic.'" Jamie blushed in embarrassment from the nick name. "T'was a very grand holiday indeed for the Celts."_

_Pippa shrugged. "Never heard of it."_

"_Well I expect you wouldn't," Bridget held back a knowing grin. "Tis a festival that only fun and imaginative people would like going to."_

_Caleb became insulted. "Hey we're fun and imaginative. Right guys."_

_The other kids shouted yes in agreement. Bridget and Jamie were the only ones who casted knowing looks before the redhead spoke, "Hmm, I don't know Jamie, should I indulge your pals in the ancient and most sacred of wild blow-out parties?"_

_Jamie snickered. "Don't think you have much of a choice."_

_Bridget put her book down on a coffee table and gestured the kids to sit near her. "I should probably start in the beginning…."_

* * *

"_So in order to welcome the deceased from the Otherworld, but keep the evil spirits away, the Irish Celts would make large bonfires to frighten the bad ghosts with its light and wear masks to scare them off."_

_Bridget was telling her attentive audience the story of Samhain well into the night as a few of them ate the candy Jamie's mom bought for Halloween. Lucky for the children no trick-or-treaters came so they had the whole bowl to themselves. _

"_Did they really use turnips for jack-o'-lanterns?" Claude asked eagerly._

"_Sure," Bridget answered right away. "They didn't have pumpkins in Ireland and they were much spookier looking when you carve a face on a turnip."_

"_And they would wear dark cloaks too," Monty noted. _

"_Uh-huh," Bridget nodded. "It helped hide away their human appearances and look more like monsters to the evil spirits." She spoke in a spooky voice right towards where Sophie sat and the little on giggle._

"_Is that why people dress up for Halloween?" Cupcake asked._

"_Yep. And all of those parties' teens and adults go to were brought about by the festivals the Celts celebrated. Huge feasts were made to welcome the good spirits. The people would dance the night away in order to stay awake incase dangerous specters tried to escape to our world." Bridget sighed wistfully. "I bet those would've been much more fun than the Halloween parties people go to today."_

"_Maybe we could do something like that next year to keep Pitch Black away," Jamie offered, his friends laughing with him afterwards._

_Bridget crossed her arms with a smile. "Who said you have to wait 'til next year? You can scare that boogeyman away now." She thumped the coffee table for emphasis._

"_But we can't go outside with all this rain." Caleb reminded her._

_Monty glanced down worriedly. "And my mom doesn't want me playing with fire." _

_Bridget wanted to roll her eyes. "You don't need the outdoors to play all the time and why build a bonfire? We're inside right now…oh wait you mean for making one outside of the house."_

_"..."_

_ "Ri~ght. Well, we don't need one to have some fun." Bridget stood up before putting her hands on her hips. "You can scare off the boogeyman with just your imaginations."_

"_How are we supposed to do that?"_

_Bridget feigned a gasp. "Jamie. I can't believe you just said that. You can do anything with your imagination to make just about anything."_

"_Yeah, when you're like, three." Claude rolled his eyes._

_Bridget frowned before crossing her arms. "And what's so wrong about 3-year-olds?" _

_Sophie pouted and mimicked Bridget's action. _

"_This kid's got so much imagination that it should be contagious." Sophie giggled at Bridget's statement and said her usual chant, "Easter Bunny, hop, hop, hop!"_

_Bridget smiled, "Well there you go. She's already decided whom she's portraying as. The Easter Bunny!" With some very wing-it guessing Bridget made some suggestions. "Jamie can be Jack Frost, since that's all he ever talks about. The twins can be the Sandman since they both think he's awesome. Pippa's the Tooth Fairy along with Cupcake…and Monty can be Santa Claus because he thinks the old guy is cool."_

"_And who are you gonna be?" Jamie asked._

_Bridget pondered momentarily and smirked before doing her spookiest voice possible. "I shall be the Boogeyman!" She shouted while raising her hands and wiggling her fingers._

_The kids laughed at her weak attempt at imitating Pitch. "You can't be scary like him Bridget." Jamie said after chuckling. _

_The redhead frowned and walked a bit, seemingly unaware of walking right toward the coffee table. "Oh, I can be scary if I want to. I know a lot of scary stuff thanks to all the read-"_

"_Bridget!" Jamie shouted, "Watch up before you trip over the-" "OW!" Bridget's right foot caught one of the table's legs and fell on her face over the carpeted floor. _

"_Bridget," all of the grade schoolers shouted at the fallen high school student. Sophie yelped in alarm that the girl with pretty red hair wasn't moving._

_Jamie got his bearings before he and his friends dithered toward the girl._

"_Bridget?" Jamie asked unsure of how to try and wake her up. He slowly started bringing his hand on her shoulder when Bridget sprung from her fallen charade and whispered a, "Boo." _

_The kids jumped back before they started to laugh and Bridget joined them. _

"_Okay Bridget you got us," Jamie said while wiping a tear away. _

_Bridget smirked, "Oh I hope so…you better not be lying to the __**Boogeyman!" **She raised her hands in a mock threat as she made the scariest face she could muster, only for it to be the silliest.  
_

_The kids laughed, finally getting into the spirit. "You can't scare us, Boogeyman," Jamie vowed._

"_Let's get him!" Cupcake shouted before they all tackled Bridget._

_Bridget failed at hiding her excessive giggling and shouted in despair, "Oh no! Attack of the Killer Kids! Ha-ha~!" _

* * *

_It was passed 8:30 when Carol Bennett finally came home. She didn't expect work to be so long, even on Halloween no less. Though she guessed it still being a Wednesday it had been a busy night at her marriage counseling office. She assumed by that point holidays brought out the worst in couples, even the ones meant for younger people._

_She sighed before climbing up the stairs to her porch and unlocked the front door. Carol had felt a little worried from the whole idea of letting Bridget look after the kids. She knew the girl was responsible in her own right but that didn't stop the older woman from feeling some maternal worry. Bridget was blind after all and needed help from others to look after her. There was also the warning that Brad-No, Carol had to believe what he told her was false. Bridget showed no signs of being violent and hardly looked anything like a pyromaniac Carol had seen before._

_Carol walked through the hallway until she heard something. It sounded a lot like snoring? She went to the living room and much to her surprise saw her son and the rest of his friends sleeping on the floor while Bridget held Sophie, bridal style, and was finishing up a story._

"_And that's how Cinderella married the prince and lived happily ever after. I'm sure wherever Happily Ever After is, has a wonderful school district for their children and excellent bookstores." Bridget quietly laughed before she placed the little sleeping tot on the armchair and tiptoed with avoiding the kid's body parts with good precision. _

"_Hiya Carol," Bridget whispered excitedly as she finally got out of the small maze of kids and right near Mrs. Bennett. _

_Carol, who was surprised by seeing all of the sleeping kids, blinked before replying, "Hi, Bridget did you…"_

"_Bore them to sleep?" Bridget offered a cheeky grin. "Naw, most of them passed out from a sugar crash. Sophie fell asleep because she was just tired."_

"_A sugar crash?"_

"_It was raining so the kids couldn't go out for Trick or Treating. But I entertained them for the most part and we partook in many marvelous adventures." Bridget spoke with a very small hint of sarcasm. "We did all the things normal kids do on a Wednesday night. Discover a cure for all cancers, climb mount Everest, end world hunger and the civil disputes in the Middle East and showed them the true meaning of Samhain. By reenacting the ritual of one person pretending to be a monster while several others would play as good guys and beat the crud out of the savage beast." The redhead counted off all of the false events and grinned the most at the real last one._

_An uncomfortable silence grew between the two and Bridget frowned nervously. "I understand if what I did was not right or-" "Thank you," Carol interjected. "For looking after all of the kids. Obviously you did a better job than Jessica seeing how she left in the middle of a sitting a while ago."_

"_Yeah I remember that," Bridget interrupted while frowning.  
_

_"It usually is very hard for me to get Jamie and Sophie to sleep but you getting both of them and their friends is even more amazing." Carol smiled with sincerity. _

_Bridget glanced at the older woman's way with some hesitation. "And the sugar crash…?"_

"_I think I'll let that pass, it being Halloween and all. And I did practically leave that bowl out in the open so it's more like my fault than yours." _

_Bridget smiled in relief. "Well, that's okay then."_

_Carol chuckled. "Indeed it is. What do you say about me going to call their parents while you wake Jamie's friends up?"_

_Bridget put her hand out and asked, "A Deal?"_

_Carol accepted the hand. "It's a deal."_

* * *

Bridget hummed in her sleep while a soft smile played on her features. She said something incoherently before tossing to her side. Petrov, the ever-vigilant reindeer, sat near the girl while her head occasionally rubbed on his furry hide.

Bunny and Jack sat near the redheaded girl while starring at the sky non-admiring the glowing Barrier that removed their powers. It took a good half-hour when Bunny successfully got himself out of Bridget's strong grip. Just breathing in the gut was all it took.

"Ya know," Bunny began nonchalantly. "If it weren't for the fact Bridget is the bloody Jaws of Life she's a pretty decent Shelia."

The winter spirit raised an eyebrow. "As in?"

Bunny shrugged. "Not really sure. I jus' have a feeling is all." He smiled wistfully. "North's not the only one who get's those odd feelings on people."

Jack snorted. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"But there's one thing I don't get. Why did you get so attached to 'er in the first place? The whole letting her know about **us**." Jack had a feeling Bunnymund wasn't just talking the two of them.

"I guess it mostly started out with the fact I kinda caused her cane to get ran over." Jack smiled sheepishly from memory. "Back when she was still blind she needed that to walk around with and I felt sorry for busting it. I came up with the idea of taking her to see North 'cuz I thought they'd both get along and he could get Bridget a new cane."

"But that's not the whole story, isn't it?" Bunny said the infamous phrase.

Jack sighed while looking at his staff, entranced by the continuing frosting of where his hand connected to the wood. To this day he still like how it would freeze over at parts only when he touched it. It made Jack feel that the staff needed him to make the frost and not the other way around.

"Before I thought of the idea, I was playing with Jamie and the other kids back in Burgess. Some older kids came over and started making fun of Jamie and friends for believing in the Guardians. They didn't call us that directly but you get the idea."

Bunny sat patiently while Jack continued speaking, occasionally nodding before he would instinctively chew on a blade of grass.

"Anyway, I was **this **close to frightening them with some flying snowballs when Bridget came in. She started making up this elaborate story about how I would freeze naughty kids to death and that they older kids should watch out. I went along with the prank by freezing their butts and they ran off afterwards." Jack shook his head with a half smile. Bunny hid a chuckle while still listening.

"She handled that whole thing like she did it before. She also comforted Jamie and his friends afterwards about them believing in us was okay. I just knew I had to do something to thank her for what she did, and that's what lead to me taking her to meet North."

Bunny laughed. "Perhaps MiM didn't jus' pick her only because she's our fan."

"What?" The memory of Bridget attacking the Nightmare Man with her fire immediately came into Jack's mind.

"North came up with this theory as to why MiM picked Bridget to help us out."

Jack nodded. "Yeah he said something about her reminding us about our beliefs or something like that." He prayed that Bunny wouldn't ask about the redhead having any _unique _abilities that would set her apart from other humans.

"That and something else…" Bunny said ominously.

"Like what?"

"I'm not promising but…the moon-Manny he's always picked somebody for a reason. I probably shouldn't be telling you this but…none of us have ever given Bridget a gift before. No Christmas presents, coins in exchanged for teeth, eggs for Easter, and I bet you my whole boomerang collection that Sandy never gave her single dream up until this morning. There must be a reason we haven't encountered her before you brought her to us. There must be something that makes her different then most kids or people for that matter."

Jack's eyes widened when he heard Bunny mention Bridget probably being different. "You're not saying that you think-" "I'm only sayin' that there must be something MiM has up his sleeve. The fact that we're bonding with the Big Ankle-biter so easily can be a good or a bad sign. Not once has he showed an omen of us getting close to Bridget. All I'm saying is that you should keep your guard on what he might have planned for us and her."

"And to be on my guard is good because…" Jack wasn't sure if Bunny was implying something else or not.

"Jus' to be ready when whatever he has planned might happen. I'd just hate to see something bad happen to her." He glanced over to where Bridget slept.

Her face crinkled as a frown appeared on her face. The dreamsand above her head began to dissipate as the image of her and a woman in a hug faded. Petrov nuzzled Bridget in a comforting manner before he jerked his head away, startled. He began to feel how warm her face was getting. He murmured something in his reindeer tongue and looked at the two Guardians with a worried expression.

Jack looked at her worryingly as he brought his staff close to his face. "You and me both."

* * *

Nightlight couldn't help but gawk at nearly every little detail of the town, Wexford. The parked metal contraptions astounded him. These _automobiles_ were powered by oil from deep, deep, **deep** underground. But what was most befuddling about the automobiles there was no need a horse, reindeer, or even ostrich to pull the vehicle. Other inventions astounded him in similar ways. The way people can create towering buildings, man-made pools, blenders, hair clippers, and their own _Djinni_ _Robots_ from an Island called Japan. It was all very mindboggling.

The idea of electric lights confused him the most though. Why would people make them when Tsar Lunar, his moonbeams, Sandy, and Nightlight himself could be of use? The answer was given to him later on by Sanderson that the world has changed astoundingly since the spectral boy's and Katherine's disappearance.

Humans needed to make their own light because they believed that the moon's light wasn't enough. Nightlight felt at fault with that since he went missing for some time and children must have needed his light to wage against the darkness. They needed his moonbeams and with none Nightlight had neglected his duties. His negative thinking went away once North motioned the four of them to cross over an empty road. Another accomplishment Nightlight found intriguing; roads made out of a hard, black substance known as tar. It made him wonder if Bunnymund or Ombric invented tar for humanity too.

"Hurry slowpokes," North whispered over the other side of the tar road. Nightlight stared at the black pathway with slight apprehension. It reminded him of the inky blackness of Pitch Black's heart and his imprisonment within the organ. Sandy gave his fellow Guardian a look of reassurance before hopping onto the road himself. When he saw Nightlight still hesitating, Sandy tapped his foot on the hard surface a couple of times. Nightlight raised his eyebrows for a moment before he finally stepped on the road too. He quietly sighed in relief when the inky tar did not suck him in like Pitch's dark heart had done.

"Be patient North," Tooth reminded him. "Not all of us are walking solo." She daintily walked while holding a brown satchel barrowed from the sleigh. Her Mini-fairies sat within the bag, nearly toping on each other every time the bag swayed slightly. Tooth smiled apologetically and whispered a, "Sorry," inside the bag. The fairies tweeted in forgiveness.

"Don't you remember how many times I tripped over earlier?" Tooth sighed. "I couldn't walk over the ground to get to Bridget and Bunny without tripping. It's been a **really** long time since I've roamed and let gravity do its work."

Sandy and Nightlight nodded, both knowing the feeling much too well.

"_This must be how Bunny feels." _Tooth felt her cheeks warm up when she also remembered he was a tiny rabbit once more. Which in retrospect was a much bigger worry for the pooka since he hated flying, or anything that had to do with being in the air. She wished there was something she could do for-"Here it is." North exclaimed, shattering Tooth out of her thoughts.

"A public pharmacy vith medicine on every aisle." North flourished his hand near the rectangle shaped building with the wording _Joyce's Pharmacy_ written in red glowing lettering.

Tooth's feathers quivered with anticipation. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Toothy," North rolled his eyes playfully. "I've been around vorld to know vhat things look like. Vexford is one of the first on my list of towns I go to. Now do you remember plan, yes?"

Tooth sighed but nodded. "I do and unfortunately so do my fairies. But if you could run it down again, just in case I forgot something."

North chuckled in disbelief. "You? Forget something? Ha," Tooth gave North a dour look. "All right, all right. So here is re-cork of plan." He crouched down, the other Guardians joining in. With the use of Sandy's sketchbook, North drew out a rectangle and four dots in front of the four-pointed shape with a pen. "This is vhat vill be going down, Tooth you vill send Mini-fairies into air vent that is attached to vall." He draws a line to a short curved line near the side of the rectangle. "They'll go through ventilation shaft, travel through tunnels vhile avoiding spinning blade-" The fairies nearly fainted from the mentioning of the b-word. "Once they get out of vents, they go through rooms until they find front door and let us all in. Piece of pie."

Tooth swooned in distress. "Ohh~ even hearing that a second time and I still get woozy."

"Vell that's the only choice ve have unless you have better idea." North felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see there were only three of them now with Sandy gone and Nightlight holding his notebook.

While you talked North, Sandy went ahead to where the pharmaceutical side door was and made some noise for the guard to come out. With some dreamsand Sandy knocked out the guard and took his keys.

The Guardians of Wonder and Memories turned their heads respectively to see Sandy hold a smug look while he opened the front door wide open. North blinked twice before Tooth gave him a look.

North coughed awkwardly. "Yes, vell that vorks too," He muttered an "I guess," under his breath as the four of them went inside.

* * *

"My goodness," Tooth gasped while staring at the rows of medicine. "I don't see where they put the jars of leeches anywhere."

"Toothy, most of the medical supplies humans use today are much more modern than vat you know of. Times have changed." North reminded the fairy.

Tooth puffed her cheeks childishly. "Well I didn't get much time to see all that with my field work mostly around children in their homes."

"Now let us see here," North stroked his beard while examining plastic bottles full of aspirin. "If any of these remedies can cure an injured leg."

"There must be something here." Tooth spoke with optimism. Her Mini-fairies walked inside the shelves to reach for cups Tooth couldn't see behind other ones.

Nightlight looked around helplessly, unsure of what he could do. None of the prescriptions look like any healing lotions he had seen in Ombric's home in Big Root. He titled his head toward the next aisle where Sandy might have went off to and saw the little man bounding toward the three.

"Did you find something Sandy?" North asked while placing his hands on his knees to reach the smaller being's level. Sandy nodded his head enthusiastically, his five-pointed hair swayed up and down. He led his fellow Guardians toward the back of the room where a counter could be seen. There inside the booth, on the top shelf, was a container full of antibiotics for animal bites. North almost did a Russian jig in victory until he remembered their situation.

"Vhat are ve vaiting for? Let's get the gauze and be on our-" "North wait!" Tooth tried to call but it was too late. The very moment North hopped over the counter a loud alarm turned on and red lights started flashing around the pharmacy. Bars appeared on the door and window frames and the sound of them being locked appeared also.

"…there could be a security alarm." Tooth finished, exasperated.

Nightlight was so surprised by the alarm that he jumped back and landed into a pile of baby powder by accident. The noises were loud enough to wake the guard up. He wiped his eyes drowsily before realizing he was locked in a broom closet. "What the-" quickly looked for his keys and cursed loudly when he couldn't find them.

"Shouldn't we help that poor man out?" Tooth asked as she and others were literally sprinting out of the building. The sound of police sirens could be heard across the street as more flashing lights could be seen coming closer.

"I think proper authorities can help him out." North said as they stood near a street lamp, none of them making a shadow to the non-believing _Gardaí_.

"I think we should head back now." Tooth declared as she settled her Mini-fairies.

"That sounds like a good suggested." North agreed. He motioned everyone to move out as they headed back to the same road they came to Wexford earlier.

An awkward pause was made after Nightlight wrote,

Why did we run out of there if only people who believe in us can see and hear us?

* * *

Bridget's breathing became very hollow as sweat fell down her face. Her eyes were shut tightly as she gasped for more air. A white hand positioned itself on her forehead. It was barely any whiter then the girl's sickly-paled face. The hand jerked away from the head like it was a hot potato.

"Alright, that felt a lot hotter than earlier." Jack said, his hand that was in contact with Bridget's forehead being waved in the air.

Bunny sighed with a shake of his head. "She's gettin' worse then an hour ago. The Big Ankle-biter must have gotten a fever from that wolf bite."

Jack took a shallow breath as he eyed Bunny. "She'll be okay right? I remembered seeing people in Colonia times getting bitten by wolves too. The open wounds alone could kill them. And those weren't normal wolves." Jack was already pacing by this point. "What if the Morrígan is using her magic to do this-she could have done something to the wolves and-and Bridget might-" "Oi, slow down." Bunny stepped in front of Jack's path.

"You're making it cold again like in Santoff Claussen." He pointed at the sky. It was now covered with darkened clouds with snow flurries threatening to fall down.

"Now don't get off your bike," Bunny advised. "The cold air will be bad for Bridget. She needs to stay warm as possible."

Jack frowned and sat down apologetically. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, Bridget's the one that is suffering. But-but she'll get better! It isn't the 1700s anymore. People can get better health care in this time era then in any other one before it." Bunny quickly added after seeing Jack's recently formed distressed look. "None of us will see **that** happen. Or let it happen."

The winter spirit eyed the pooka suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"On my Nelly do I swear it," Bunny said confidently.

Jack sighed; he rubbed his face tiredly before glancing at Bridget. "There has to be something we can do while the others aren't here yet."

As if on cue Petrov made a snorting noise and walked over to where Bridget's side was and rested his head on her good leg.

Bunny smiled. "Good thinkin' Petrov. Yer just as smart as Petrov the horse was."

The reindeer made an expression that looked like a proud look before resuming his activity.

"Now it's good to keep her body warm, Bridget'll need her face cool so her fever will go down." Bunny sighed dramatically and said, "I can't believe I'm saying this but…Jack I need you to make me a snowball."

Jack gaped slightly before realizing the meaning behind the words. "You said to be directly and I still don't believe it." He formed his hands together and made a perfect snowball before bringing it to Bunny.

"Hold on," Bunny said before Jack could give him the round ice cube. "First things first, we need to put a cloth around it so there's **some** layer between Bridget and that frozen ball." He hopped over to Bridget's left, undamaged leg and ripped some green cloth from the pants. "Hope the Big Ankle-biter can forgive me."

"It'll be okay, I think." Jack replied while Bunny handed him the cloth and snowball. The winter spirit wrapped the cloth around the snowball with precision and slowly brought it near Bridget's head.

"Jus' place it on her forehead…yeah just like that and keep it there." Bunny stood near Jack the whole time as the taller Guardian rested the newly made icepack onto Bridget.

The moment the cold object reached her face Bridget didn't feel so warm anymore. The ice became a beacon from the searing heat. Her breathing became less shallow while she moaned slightly and instinctively pressed her head toward the snowball.

Jack smiled and turned toward Bunny, his hand still placed over the icepack. "Her face is not as hot as is was a few minutes ago."

"Good to hear," Bunny replied. "But keep her face cool as much as you can."

"Relax," Jack said. "She'll be all right. The last thing I want is for her to…" his voice trialed off when he felt a very warm touch on his ice-clutching wrist. Bridget had clasped her hand on Jack's wrist. A small smile played on her face as she muttered something incoherently.

"Aww the Shelia's still asleep."

Jack glared at the goading pooka. "You better quit talking, Cottontail, or I'll-" Jack was silenced yet again when Bridget unconsciously grabbed a hold of his blue hoodie and pulled him by his hands. Bunny widen his eyes momentarily before he literally started laughing on the ground with his paws holding his stomach.

"Oh-ha-ha! MiM must be blessing you ta'nite, Frost." Bunny could barely breathe as he took hold of the sight before him. "Either that or Bridget must've thought you're colder than the icepack." He chuckled some more with tears in his eyes.

Jack's face flushed a deep violet, completely unsure of how to get out of Bridget's embrace. He was practically straddling over the girl with their faces nearly inches apart from one another. While Bunny thought it with little less care and was even joking Jack felt like the whole situation wasn't funny at all. How did their roles get switched up like this? Oh yeah, Jack was in entrapped hug with a pretty girl while Bunny was not. The moon was indeed being cruel to Jack.

"_How am I suppose to get myself out this-funny I don't see how Bridget think she smells bad, she still smells like apples and-STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! This is not the time to be thinking __**that**__. Though she does look a little cute sleeping like-DAMMIT! Again with the thoughts!"_

Jack continued through his internal struggle while Bunny started to wish **he **had a camera. The other guys would definitely love to see it. North would chuckle and congratulate Jack. Nightlight would be hard to describe seeing how Bunny didn't spend that much time with him. Sandy, on the other paw, would act all smug and draw even more silly doodles, and Tooth? Well she'll probably faint or get overexcited or both. Either way seeing her happy would be an added bonus.

If there was one thing Bunny thought complimented Tooth more was her own smile. He didn't care how many bloody times she would say how beautiful Jack's teeth look the pooka still that Tooth's smile was-Bunny blinked before clearing his thoughts. He had no time to be thinking like that. As much as Jack annoyed the pooka he was still a Guardian and more importantly his friend. There had to be something Bunnymund could do. And the only think of doing was taking a nap to clear his thoughts.

Our Guardian of Hope, Ladies and Gentlemen!

* * *

"Phew," Tooth sighed in relief as the Guardians walked over toward a familiar road. "I didn't think we'd get here so fast."

"Vith all that running ve did I voudln't be surprised." North said as he carried a sack full of the medical supplies.

"I just didn't notice that dog following us. I thought it was a wolf like before. Sorry for the false alarm everyone."

Sandy and Nightlight gave her understanding smiles and looks of reassurance.

"No vorries Toothy, "North replied. "All of us must be on guard after that little incident. All this running vill get us closer to Bridget and sooner for her to get better."

Tooth nodded in agreement. "That's what I say too." The little Mini-fairies chirped in mutuality.

When will we get back to the others?

Nightlight wrote with interest.

"In a hour, I vould assume." North squinted his eyes at the road before them, glad that sunlight was fully reaching across the land and they could all see everything a bit more clearly. When he saw nothing North gave the okay for them all to walk

"I just hope we haven't left them too long," Tooth spoke worriedly. "It only has been a couple of hours but still."

"Tooth, ve'll get to Jack, Bunny and Leetle Girl in no time even. Have some faith."

The fairy laughed and rolled her eyes. "You don't think I would be here if I didn't?" She casted down her pink/purple eyes moments later. "Still I wish there was something else we could do."

Sandy walked along side the hummingbird/human hybrid until he spotted something near the road. He pulled on North's leg and gestured Nightlight and Tooth to follow him. Once they arrived to the spot Sandy led them to North made a low whistle.

"Sandy sometimes I cannot help but think you are full of great ideas."

The Sandman beamed at the compliment.

"But how will we carry it to where Bridget is?" Tooth quirked an eyebrow out of curiosity.

Nightlight smiled sheepishly before revealing a broken plastic bottle that was originally for pills. It was a good half-gallon in cup size and completely empty of its contents.

Tooth eyed the bottle slightly, a bit hesitant from seeing the rough and pointy edges. She inwardly sighed. "I suppose this will do."

The spectral boy smiled.

"Then let us be hitting of the road now!" North exclaimed. They set up the new gift for Bridget as they continued walking down the low road.

* * *

With being in an (originally) unwilling embrace Jack began to mull over life's meanings. Is there a life after death? Are they really alone in the universe? Can white be worn on Labor Day or not? Who was **really** on First Base? Jack never did learn who it was. But none of those really mattered since he was still tucked in by Bridget. The whole situation though wasn't as bad as earlier. It got less embarrassing as the minutes passed by and became almost…comfortable. Or as comfortable as a winter spirit can get with being hugged by someone abnormally warmer than most humans. Still, it wasn't all bad, while Bridget wasn't an airbed but she wasn't hard like a cinderblock, she was soft. It was also noted that ever since she and Jack ended up in the hold her face looked less red and much more calm.

Bridget looked peaceful when she slept, it was like she had no worries when she was sleeping and felt the most at ease. She breathed out slightly before a soft smile played on her features. She hummed the moment Jack placed a hand on her forehead. He sighed in relief; her fever was starting to go down. Perhaps Bunny was right about keeping her body temperature cool so it wouldn't over heat. It made Bridget slowly get better by the looks of it.

Some sweat still clung to Bridget's face, making her bangs stick to her forehead like glue. Jack almost didn't want to touch them out of fear he'd wake up Bridget by accident, but if his hand contacting her face didn't break her out of unconsciousness some fingers couldn't either. He slowly put three fingers over Bridget's forehead and pushed the clinging bangs away, feeling that the hair felt silky despite the dampness. Jack could feel his blush starting to rise again when she felt his warm breath tickle his wrist and he just realized how close their faces really were.

He continued staring at her unconsciously began moving his face closer to Bridget's, his eyes closing. Unknown to Jack, Bridget cracked her eyes open and saw his face. In her fevered state Bridget felt her eyes start to close. It must've been a trick of her mind when she thought she felt lips very lightly meet her own.

"Klassno!" In barely a second Jack jumped away almost landing on an awakening Bunnymund. The pooka grumbled in annoyance when Jack nearly landed on his tail. Soon enough all three of them were wide-awake when the four Guardians returned.

North beamed and laid down a red sack. He placed his hands on his hips before chuckling heartily. "Ve come back vith good tidings."

"You broke into the pharmacy after all?" Jack asked, finally able to recompose himself.

Bridget arched an eyebrow; she spoke in a tired voice, "'Broke into?'"

"Ah, no-vell yes-but that is not point right now." North pulled something out of the sack to reveal a canister full of antibiotics, or at least that was what it looked like to Bridget. "These can help vith your leg."

"And we brought this buck full of water we collected from a well." Tooth chimed and motioned toward Sandy and Nightlight whom both were semi-struggling to hold the container up. "We didn't see the well until it became bright enough to see it, and we thought you might be thirsty."

Bridget frowned and clutched her throat, realizing that assumption was very accurate. "Yeah," she spoke with her voice wheezing slightly. "I do feel thirsty."

North smiled. "Then have medicine and vater to get better."

Bridget sighed as a spoonful of the antibiotics came near her mouth. "Ugh, even when I'm 17 I still hate taking medicine."

"It's for your own good," Tooth spoke in a motherly way.

The redhead sighed one last time before taking the spoon into her mouth. Just as she was wondering where the spoon came from the antibiotics slapped down her throat and felt like swallowing a gluey paste. "Yuck."

Tooth smiled apologetically. "You'll be better in no time."

"You just have to believe in us." Bunny added.

Bridget snorted. "Like I already don't." Suddenly her throat began to feel much drier than earlier. She also thought the bucket wasn't coming close enough to her. Without realizing it Bridget grabbed the bucket out of Sandy and Nightlight's hands. She ignored their surprised looks as she drunk heavily, while some water spilled out and drizzled on the sides of her mouth. She then tossed the bucket aside and lied back down.

The Guardians held concerned looks from what they saw. North removed his coat and placed it over Bridget like a father would do, and stroked her hair in a gentle manner. "She is strong," North spoke in his native tongue. "But how many more trials will she go through after today?"

After all, it was only Day 1 of the real journey.

* * *

**Q-A: **Yeah, I'm SUPER SORRY! This was not as long as most chapters I'll admit but I was super busy with this college road trip with my dad over the weekend. I'm surprised I even got this much done. :D But all and all I hope some of you are still awake this Sunday to read this or won't be mad at me. And I did add some more cute/awkward moments between Jack and Bridget in this chapter. I felt the earlier one had a lack of it. XD

Gardaí- The Irish police properly called Garda Síochána na hÉireann or _Guardians of the Peace of Ireland. _So, that would mean Ireland does have their own Guardians after all. XD

Don't get off your bike- calm down

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	18. BBOB

**Disclaimer: **I own none of the songs mentioned in the story. are mine and so is the story. If I did own the film rights, I wouldn't have aloud the TV commercials to turn out so lousy. Warning: I have never been to Wexford Ireland, or any part of either. Whatever I write is either based on literary knowledge or official sites I read online. You have been warned.

* * *

_~ B.B.O.B ~_

"Oh no!" Tooth gasped in absolute horror. The other Guardians quickly went over to her. Bridget was still resting, too drowsy to understand what was going on.

"Vhat is problem Tooth," North asked in concern.

A few of her feathers fell out to clearly show how much anxiety Tooth was going through. "I just realized something very bad."

"What?" Jack clutched his staff, desperate to learn what the problem was.

"I forgot to leave money for the antibiotics!"

If they lived in a universe influenced by Japanese animation, all the male Guardians would have fainted in a very over dramatic and comedic fashion.

"That's why you're so worked up?" Bunny repressed a groan. "You made it sound like it was the end of the bloody world."

"What can be worse than stealing medicine that could be use for someone in need?" Tooth looked like she was a bout to cry.

"Stealing?!" Bridget miraculously shot up causing Sal to be flung from his sleeping spot on her head and land somewhere on the grass. She was in the middle of a wonderful dream about flavorless snow cones, but it ended when she heard most of the sentence Tooth had just cried out.

"Are you telling me you actually went ahead with going to the pharmacy and stole something?" She sat near Jack who for some reason blushed and stepped back a few feet. Bridget remained unfazed by this and kept her earlier response open.

"It didn't happen like that," North tried to deny.

"Okay then, so what Tooth just said was false?" Bridget got more furious by the second.

"Bridget," Jack spoke, trying to interrupt her.

"I cannot believe that burglary was involved here."

"Uh, Big Ankle-biter." Bunny said with an astonished tone.

"And that I'm the technical cause for it, which makes it worse for me."

"Wisdom Tooth," the Fairy Queen's eyes widen in shock.

"And now there's probably all these cops and people trying to figure out what kind of lunatic steals liquid medicine and-" A sharp whistling came from Nightlight

The spectral boy gave Bridget a sharp nod after removing his fingers in his mouth. _"Wow," _the redhead thought. _"He's nearly as good as I am."_

"Thank you, Nightlight." North smiled. He turned his attention back to Bridget. "Now Leetle Girl, ve have something to ask you."

"How are you walking," Jack interrupted in amazement.

"Huh," the redhead looked down and realized that had apparently stood up and been pacing through her rant. She gasped in surprise and jumped to a certain extent.

"Whoa, be careful there." Jack warned before placing a hand on Bridget's shoulder.

"I'm fine." Bridget frowned and stepped back. "…I **am** fine." Her eyes widen from that revelation. She daintily rested her right foot on the ground, despite the protests from the others. She shushed them with a finger to her lips and placed her foot on the grass.

Not once did she feel the recent stabbing pain that would shoot across her leg. Not once did she want to collapse from a horrible throbbing. Slowly Bridget placed a hand on her leg. With slight pressure she widened her eyes in astonishment again to see that she didn't hurt her injured like before.

"My leg doesn't hurt anymore." Bridget smiled.

"How is that possible?" Tooth asked with wide eyes.

Bridget glanced down and patted her legs. "Probably something in the medicine."

North shook his head. "No it couldn't have been that effective that quickly. It vas over an hour vhen you had taken it."

"Well it can't be the water," Bunny mused. "It's jus' plain ol' water from a Well."

Bridget shrugged. "As long as I don't have to lie down anymore I'm not complaining."

"You're not going anywhere." Jack insisted with concern, his earlier self-conciseness evaporating not too long ago. "It could be a fluke with your leg or something and could get worse if you don't rest on it more."

As Jack spoke Bridget fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Well Tooth said earlier that she forgot to give money for the antibiotics. We might as well go to Wexford and…do something about it."

Tooth nearly jumped for joy at the prospect until Bunny cut in. "You're kidding. We can't waltz into a town and jus' leave some coins near the Pharmacy. With loads of possible Coppers and other people around that spot. Is that what you had in mind?"

Bridget grinned. "Pretty much."

Jack smirked at her cleverness, forgetting his previous concern momentarily. "Sounds like a good plan to me."

"I second it." Tooth chimed.

Bunny grumbled and turned toward North. "I'm guessing you have no objections."

North smiled lopsidedly. "Can't really say no since ve need to go through there anyvays to get to Dublin. Much faster than other roads, safer too vith other people around so the Morrígan can't track us."

Nightlight smiled and nodded in agreement. Sandy gave North and the others a thumb's up. Bunny sighed. "I guess I should quit the whole being against things, huh."

Tooth smiled at him sympathetically and placed a hand on his little shoulder. "You worry because you care." Bunny smiled halfheartedly.

"So what are we waiting for?" Bridget grabbed her backpack near the driftwood sled and placed it over her shoulders. "Let's go off to see the Leprechaun." With that said Bridget started to walk until Jack stopped her. He pointed toward Petrov with his eyes full of seriousness. Something that looked very foreign to Bridget. She shook her head stubbornly.

"Either let Petrov walk you to Wexford, or stay on the wood sleigh." Jack finalized.

Bridget sighed in reluctance. She grumbled something under her breath and attempted to climb on the reindeer. He crouched down for her to get on better and Bridget thanked him. She kept her nose up in the air when she passed by Jack.

"I'm doing this because I'm still tired." She denied in a know-it-all tone.

Jack rolled his eyes playfully before he secretly zapped Petrov's bum, causing the caribou to jerk ahead slightly. Bridget was taken by surprise until she realized it was Jack's doing when she felt a cold chill on her spine. She turned around to stick her tongue out in his direction. He snickered before he waved innocently just as the others joined them, all of them unaware of what had just taken place.

This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Okay, it was a lie, the trip ended a lot sooner than originally thought. Or to be precise a quarter and a half of the way there.

An hour had passed since the heroes started their travelling. Bridget was still ridding Petrov but looked bored out of her mind with her head resting on his own. It would seem the glamor of riding one of 'Santa's' magical reindeer wore off. All she wanted to do was get off the reindeer and run. She didn't understand why she felt so restless, Bridget just wanted to do something active.

The Mini-fairies looked depraved from any form of fun too. Which was odd seeing how they were all sitting on Petrov's antlers and getting the highest lookout point in general. But seeing how they were use to flying in higher altitudes made sitting nine feet in the air not seem very exciting.

Through the boredom she was facing Bridget began to muse over a few things. Her leg felt better than new, all she wanted to do then was run around and play, and Jack's behavior was starting to act very odd to her.

The winter spirit was either worrying too much, or not worrying at all. Yes he would worry over Bridget's leg like the rest but soon after he would abruptly stop and become passive and barely talk to her. Normally she wouldn't really care what was going in his mind (much) but the fact he only seemed to be acting that odd behavior towards her was starting to look very strange to Bridget. The other Guardians Jack would have no problem talking to since they started traveling but idea that he was ignoring her directly was starting to confuse her.

"I think I like you better when you were squealing an hour ago." Jack spoke casually with a small hint of amusement. It was the first time he talked to her since an hour ago.

Bridget turned to her left side to give him a blank look. She was starting to miss that submissive attitude he held for a brief time earlier. "I wasn't squealing."

Jack jerked his head to look like a curt shake for no. "Uh, yeah you were. Right when the sun came up all you did was this," he made a sharp shriek and began pointing a random objects while speaking in a very over the top girly voice. "'Oh my god, look the grass it's so green. Oh look at those rocks on the grass! They look so…stone-y. Ack! Look at the sky! Everything's so blue!'"

The other Guardians tried to keep their snickering to a minimum. Jack's impersonation of a certain redheaded girl was almost uncanny. Bridget's frown deepened before she crossed her arms in embarrassment. "Excuse me for enjoying the scenery. It's not like I could see grass in Santoff Claussen with snow being everywhere and the sky being all cloudy."

"You got a problem with snow?" Bridget could clearly hear Jack sounded somewhat offended. Not wanting to argue with him Bridget quickly said, "I'm not saying I don't, I just never seen all these things before I got the glasses if I recall."

Jack's blue eyes soften when he realized how true that was. "And I'm sorry for overreacting over every little detail but in my defense, I've done that several times in the past."

"No," Jack said suddenly. "I should've gotten use to that quirk of yours by now. In some ways it's kind of…" "_Cute." _He nearly bit his tongue before saying that.

"'Kind of,'" Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"_I'm not gonna flirt. Bunny said she might not be ready for that and-" "_Oh look," Jack exclaimed and pointed blindly ahead. "I see Wexford from here."

Bridget's forehead creased in confusion. "Wha-" "There it is," North spoke. The metric sign showing how close they were to Wexford could be seen. "Good eyesight Jack. Von't be long now."

"Huh," Jack spoke quietly to himself. "Can't believe that worked."

* * *

The town of Wexford stood near the River Slaney with a harbor right at the city. Everything about the city had a homely feel to it. Even if they looked like small specks Bridget could tell by the early morning that the townspeople were already beginning their daily lives.

Bridget and the Guardians were exactly at the city limits with North trying to herd Petrov **away** from the city. "I apologize Petrov but you almost spook farmer earlier vhen he past us. I didn't know you vould be visible to adult. It's best if you stay near fields and avay from public."

Petrov trotted over to Bridget, giving her the most sorrowful look he could muster. If North wasn't allowing the deer to stay perhaps the apple-smelling girl could.

"Goodbye Petrov," Bridget hugged the reindeer in gratitude. She didn't notice his displeased look at all. "We'll see each other later. Be careful, I heard the wild is not a friendly place."

Petrov snorted an objection before staggering far from the road. "Yah I know you like meeting new people but ve must all make sacrifices." North called out one last time.

"What was really surprising was that the farmer saw a reindeer and didn't see a girl floating in midair instead."

Bridget frowned at Jack. "Was that supposed to be a joke, Jack?"

"Now you two stop before you even start," Bunny reasoned. He stared deeply into the town before them. "We need to be on our guard through this place."

Jack snickered. "It's not like it's a warzone."

"No," Tooth somewhat agreed. "But we should still be careful. Children can still see us and confuse their parents because of it."

"Not unless school is still in session." Bridget supplemented. "It's only the beginning of December so school shouldn't be out yet. It's also early morning. Most of the kids are in class right now. None of them might not be released from school until the afternoon if we're lucky."

"It would be nice if we did have Lady Luck on our side." Jack said while staring toward the town, already aggravated by the impending body-phases he'll have to deal with from non-believers.

"No time for vishy-vashy," North declared. "Let us be off!"

"And bring that money to the Pharmacy," Tooth reminded earnestly.

The redhead looked forward to where Wexford stood. The good news of Petrov leaving was that she was aloud to walk on her own. The bad news was now that he was gone the Guardians would be extra cautious. Which meant Jack would be acting all weird towards her again.

She glanced down at her right leg and prayed that she was right about it being healed. Slowly she took a hesitant step and placed the tiniest trace of pressure on the leg. The same as before the leg didn't hurt in the slightest. With her eyes still trailed on her leg Bridget noticed how ripped her pants looked. She frowned at the sight, having liked the article of clothing for its warmth and the shade of green it was made with.

"Time for me to be re-introduced into society," Bridget half whispered. With that said she started walking down the road.

* * *

For the most part no one seemed to notice a redheaded girl traversing down a street by herself…with ripped pants nor did they glance at her odd behavior. She kept turning head to both her left and right and shifting her gray eyes like she was looking at something or someone. To those who did glimpse noticed how she would seem to mutter to herself and decided to keep their distance. If any of them were believers like the girl, perhaps they would have understood why she behaved the way she did.

Every pathway, every lamp, every modern townhouse, and even the people passing by got Bridget's attention. The Guardians gave their attention tenfold. Anything that moved made the Guardians reconnoiter it in a heartbeat. North would adjust his coat so that the fur trimmings almost covered his face; Jack wore his hood up while keeping his staff near him at all times; Nightlight and Sandy walked uncomfortably and held concerned looks when they saw somebody pass by.

Tooth was much more aggravated as she stood between North and Jack while wrapping her arms around herself. It looked as though she was trying to cover herself up with limited supply she had. It was even awful that she occasionally tripped over herself and couldn't walk a straight line that well.

Bunny was the least worried looking while he hopped ahead of everyone and scouted, head sniffing the air and shouting a warning if more than one person was coming down the sidewalk. The last one made Bridget arch an eyebrow as to why he would call that out until she saw why.

When a man in hurry moved aside to not knock into Bridget, he didn't noticed he was about to collide with Nightlight. That was what Bridget thought would happen until the man walked through the spectral boy like he were a ghost or made out of fog. Bridget gasped in shock at what she witnessed.

Bridget was aware of what happened to Guardians when they come in contact with a non-believer (thanks to her conversations with Jamie and Jack) but she never thought she'd see it up close. It must've been a new sensation to Nightlight as well.

Right after the man left Nightlight exclaimed a silent gasped and wobbled slightly. Shock and panic was seen plainly on his face. His free arm immediately when to his stomach, checking to feel if it was still solid. The Guardians came to his side at once, giving him words of comfort and reassurance.

"It's all right man," Jack nudged Nightlight's shoulder. "You get use to it after a while. Trust me, I've had 300 years to get use to it. Hated it, but got use to it."

"Not sure that last part helped, Jack," Tooth whispered into his ear.

"Okay that's it," Bridget didn't care who was watching when she physically pushed the Guardians all into an alleyway on by the street.

The alley was wide with more than enough room for all seven of them to be inside with plenty of space. Even with the sun rising in the sky, the walls in the passageway kept the space dark and sheltered. It was exactly a good spot for Bridget to speak without drawing any unwanted attention.

She glanced at the Guardians with a worried look before holding up her hands in a defensive position. "I don't need to see to figure out how uncomfortable you guys feel. If the whole walking in public is that bad I can settle with just scurrying about instead." The redhead did her hardest to not bring up the whole phase-through circumstance.

North sighed before rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Ahh, Leetle Girl, don't get vorried for our sakes. It is like you said, no one can see us and all is fine."

Bridget bit her lower lip and crossed her arms. "That's not what I was seeing. We can try and go through somewhere less crowded."

"It's not that. It vouldn't make much difference since Tooth, Sandy, Nightlight and I vere…valking in dark and could not clearly see vhere pharmacy vas exactly."

Bunny furrowed his eyebrow in disbelief. "So wait? Are you sayin' we're just going on a wild goose chase?"

"No," Tooth stumbled with both her words and legs. "We can still find the pharmaceutical. It'll just take more time than last night."

"Maybe I can look for a map to find it." Bridget offered. "Or even go to an Internet café if there is one around here. Yeah I just _Google_ 'Wexford, Ireland Pharmacy' and see what we get." Clearly Bridget was trying to make a joke but ended up getting lukewarm results.

She smiled awkwardly before pulling on her right arm and fidgeted with her torc bracelet. Bridget began to say something until the sound of a car horn was heard. The Guardians and human turned to look straight into the alleyway. Their eyes widened in shock when they saw the headlights of a car coming closer toward them.

"Run!" North ordered with no objections as they hurried out of the passage. While the Legendaries could pass through people, bigger objects like cars were another story. It didn't sound fair but would you want to stand in front of a moving car too?

The moment they escaped a huge crowd of people passed by and several phase-through commenced. Several adults unknowingly walked in and out of the Guardians. Their bodies that came in contact with the humans turned into gray/bluish mist and the feeling of being suspended and disperse was unbearable. It wasn't a physical pain but the pain of not being seen and of being directly implied to not being believed in hurt considerably. With much effort they escaped from the field of people and broke out onto the open cobblestone road. Unlike the alleyway no cars could be visible on the road.

"Is everyone all right?" North asked.

Jack took a few gasps of air before saying, "I'm not sure if I'll get over that **one **but I think I'll manage."

Tooth and Bunny responded in similar manners. Sandy gave a weak smile while Nightlight suffered the most. His hands rested on his knees and breathed hard. He lifted his head and showed much forlorn in his eyes. The whole sensation of people not seeing him was alien to him. Being exposed to so many people in one time was not helping in the least.

North sighed in relief. "Good, I'm sure vith that being over ve can focus on finding that pharmacy."

The winter spirit smile at that suggestion for a brief moment until he became aware of something. Something was wrong, very wrong.

"Where's Bridget?" Tooth spoke out Jack's concern with great accuracy. Soon the rest held similar expressions.

"She vas running avay from car like ve all did." North quickly looked into the alleyway's direction and inwardly sighed when he saw it was completely empty.

"Could she gotten slipped up from us during that run-in with the humans?" Bunny asked. His green eyes full of worry.

Jack climbed up to a lamppost and sighed in frustration after scanning the area. "I can't see at all."

"Oh," Tooth faltered around, some of her feathers falling down out of motherly worry. "She could be totally lost for all we know. Even with her eyesight our little Wisdom Tooth has no idea where she is. What if somebody finds her and does something so…" she chocked back a cry and nearly crumpled down.

Bunny hopped over to where Tooth stood and spoke rationally said, "The Big Ankle-biter knows that. She knew the risks of going to a different country and took 'em anyway." He quickly added to a disgruntled Jack Frost. "Not that I'm happy she's gone. Far from it! I'm jus' saying she can handle herself for now. Until then let's go an' look for her and hope for the best."

"Bunny is right," North stood behind the pooka and fairy. "Leetle Girl is strong and can handle in vhatever situation you put her in. As long as ve don't panic ve can find her in no time."

"_I wish what half of you said guys was true," _Jack sighed inwardly. _"Bridget's still human. We're the only contact she has in the country and she can't trust anybody. Plus she's still blind when it comes to the things that surround her. She wouldn't last an hour on her own with all of the stuff that is going on in this town." _He glanced up into the sky where the moon was barely noticeable in the near morning. _"Please make sure she's okay. Bridget just has to be."_

"Bridget is strong," Tooth said over Jack's thoughts. She spoke in a way that sounded more like she was trying to reassure herself. "She will know what to do."

* * *

"I have no freakin' clue what to do!" Bridget pulled at her hair in despair while shouting at the sky to no one. Somehow she got separated from the Guardians and ended up right near the harbor. Well, not **right **near it but at a sidewalk where there was railing and if a person looked over could see the large river through it. At least Sal was with her so she wasn't completely alone. He sat on a poll connected to the railing while staring into nothing with his seemingly blank eyes.

"Oh god why didn't I listen to Brad and gotten a cell phone." Bridget began to pace with her hands moving erratically. "If I had one then I would've given Jack or the others my number after all. Though in retrospect they probably don't have any form of communication. They probably just use some sort of _Bat-signal _and get together. You know I never actually thought of that. I have no real idea how that works. I don't even know that much about them. I mean I don't know them personally.

"Sure I know what they do and their 'centers' but do I really know them. Their likes, dislikes, where they came from and so forth I must've sounded so whiny with my back story talk. And we're suppose to be saving kids from crazy birds-"

"Excuse me," a new voice spoke out. Bridget turned and nearly squawked in alarm when she saw someone.

A young man, no older than her, with perfect tussled looking blond hair and blue eyes stood behind Bridget with his hands in his pockets. His hands were in blue jeans while he wore a khaki hoodie with the town's name written in cursive on the front covering his lean build.

The guy arched a perfect eyebrow and smiled amusedly, "As much as I like watching someone doing improv, I think you might want to lower your volume down," dear god he even spoke with a cute Irish accent. "You might wake up some 'gulls with that."

Bridget smiled bashfully and attempted to cover her embarrassment with a cough. She quickly grabbed Sal and placed him in her coat pocket. "Yeah, well I was just-"

"Oh so you **do** have an American accent," Perfect guy noted. "I just thought you…never mind."

Bridget laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, I'm from America." _"Shut-up! You are saying too much to this random (perfect) guy. He might want to learn more."_

"What part of America?" _"Dammit, see?!"  
_

Bridget frowned slightly before turning away. "Listen, you seem like a nice guy but I really don't have time for this. I'm looking for my friends right now." She was hopping he would take a hint. Unfortunate for her, those thoughts went away when the loud noise of a tummy growling.

Perfect guy chuckled. "You must be hungry."

Bridget glanced toward him. "Yeah…and a little thirsty too. You wouldn't know where to get some Well water? That's stuff's good." She couldn't help herself from saying that.

Perfect guy laughed again. "I'm not sure about Well water but I do know of a place to get some breakfast." He thumbed to a pier further down the boardwalk where some booths and a large group of people stood.

Bridget tried to hide her worry and stepped back a few inches. "Um, I'm not exactly suppose to talk to people I don't know or take candy if they offer it."

Perfect guy shook his head and smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry forgot my manners. That normally doesn't happen." When he smiled it caused his eyes to crinkle. "My name's Liam, Liam Jones."

Bridget had to admit Liam was cute, in an I-just-met-this-random-guy-near-a-dock sort of way. Still she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to some **other** guy she knew. Wait! Jack, the Guardians! She needed to go find them at once. She had no time for-

"So is you name is as lovely as your looks?" Oh, was this guy smooth.

Bridget almost rolled her eyes but giggled instead. "My name is Bridget. No last name unfortunately."

"You either don't know or you don't want to tell me."

"Listen you've been nice. Very nice, but I really need to find my-" her stomach growled once more. Bridget sighed and blew at her bangs in annoyance.

Liam smiled. "I think what you need is a bite to eat." He pointed toward the pier again. "There's some food down there with some minerals too."

Bridget gaped in confusion.

"I meant sodas," Liam hurriedly said.

"Oh," Bridget bit her inner cheek, obviously there was a lot about Ireland she didn't know about despite knowing all about its ancient mythology. A part of her was torn as well. She knew she had to go look for the Guardians and that they must've been worried sick, but the other half was possessed by her uncontrollable hunger. The problem was that she hadn't eaten anything in almost a whole day except for the medicine and water.

"Well," she paused before continuing. Bridget started to let her appetite sway her thoughts. She didn't eat anything in several hours and having an empty stomach is unhealthy, **and **she could never think properly of finding her friends with an empty stomach. Logic was beaten by hunger in a mental battle for the century. "Okay, but just for the food!" Bridget warned with a pointed finger.

Liam laughed, thinking the American girl's attitude was quirky. "And performances done by some brilliant street troupes. The one I'm in is performing right now in fact." He placed a hand over his chest when mentioning it. "I was running late for practice, then I saw you doing your…improv." He cracked a smile at the last part.

Bridget mirrored his grin. "Yeah that…" she pulled on her bracelet before they started walking to the pier.

"So your name is Liam huh?" Bridget smiled lopsidedly. "Blond hair, from Ireland-"

Liam waved his hand and feigned a scowl. "Yeah I get that one a lot. But in my defense, there are dozens of Liams in this city and it's been a common name in donkey's ears."

"Haha," "_I have no idea what you talking about," _Bridget snickered. A comfortable silence grew between the two.

"What was that improv for anyways?" Liam asked. "Are you in a theater group too?"

Bridget smiled widely, unsure how to answer that. She couldn't just say she was talking to herself it would make her look crazy and if not Liam would start asking what she was talking about. And she didn't want to get into that.

"Uh…my friends and I are in an re-enactment of..._The Birds._ In the version we're doing it's sort of like a...sequel to the film but there are these…kids taken by these…crows." Bridget used waving hand gestures to explain. "And we, as in the characters, go stop the crows and save the kids."

Liam smiled a toothy grin. "Sounds very creative."

Bridget smiled in return. "Yeah it's working progress though." _"More ways than one, girl." _

"Maybe you can tell my mates about it," Liam offered. "I'm sure they'd like it."

Bridget blinked. She never thought of meeting other people. It seemed like years since she talked to regular human beings. "I guess, but I still want to look for my friends."

"Yeah, yeah sure we can do that too," Liam, said eagerly, like he was more into the idea of Bridget meeting his friends.

Bridget shrugged her shoulders and silently agreed in defeat.

"We should be near the spot not too far from here." Liam said as they turned a corner toward the pier. As they got closer Bridget could faintly hear the sound of music being played. It wasn't anything like the music she listened on her iPod but (thankfully) it didn't sound like the music she heard kids at school listen to either. Well, the kids who were snobs, the populars, or knuckle-headed jocks didn't listen to the music Bridget was currently hearing.

She heard the thumping of a drum and tin whistle at play while a young woman's voice was chanting.

_"Bróga breaca dubha ar an dúlamán gaelach_

_Tá bearéad agus triús ar an dúlamán maorach"_

Through a crowd Bridget and Liam pushed through to get a closer look. The way the singer spoke sounded so peculiar and yet very understanding. Bridget found the music was so beautiful with the flute and drum in near tune with the woman's singing. The music would be played before she sang a note and when there were music breaks

"_Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach_

_Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn_"

Bridget craned her neck so she could see the center of where the music came from properly. Three people were performing. A tall, dark skinned, young man played a round drum. Another guy with brown hair and a light complexion blew on a small flute with his fingers pressing on the flute holes with little effort. A girl with black hair tied in a ponytail and bleach blond highlights sung the vocals, she was the one with the angelic voice.

Singing wasn't the only thing she did though with small, but graceful steps, the girl twirled around and did some quick movements. All she wore were sneakers with laces that criss-crossed the top of the foot and were tied together in a zigzag pattern. They made no sound as the girl moved but Bridget assumed that was intentional to not be distracting from the instruments. With every first step she took she ended up moving a completely different direction and move off somewhere else.

Bridget was so entranced by the dancing that she almost didn't catch the girl dancing in front of a bonfire while underground. Wait…Bridget squinted her eyes momentarily and saw no bonfire anymore, they were still in a pier too. She could've sworn-

"_Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach_

_Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn!_"

With a last bang from the drum the song came to a triumphant end. The whole audience cheered with Liam and Bridget applauding as well. The three performers made their bows while a few kind patrons threw a few coins and paper bills into a tattered Irish cap. Once the crowd fully dispersed a few minutes later the trio hurried over to where the cap was.

"Excellent," the taller guy said with an obvious Irish accent. "We made over fifthteen pounds."

"And that's not counting the change either." The tall, lanky one said. He turned to the girl and smiled broadly. "And all thanks to the main attraction, Olivia."

The girl, named Olivia, rolled her green eyes playfully. "Oh come now, my vocals would be fine without your playing."

The boys smiled and pretended to sound offended by her words. Liam turned to Bridget and gave her a shushing gesture before walking over to where the three stood.

"Guys," Liam called out. They all turned and smiled genuinely smiled.

"'Bout time you showed up," Olivia smirked. She turned her head to stare at Bridget, causing the later to bow her head bashfully. "Seems like I just found the reason why though."

"Yeah," the tall guy said. "How many girls would you count this one in?"

"_Girls?"_

"All right, all right," Liam waved a hand, clearly not pleased with the tall guy mentioning that. "Please, if you're going to make a good impression for her, don't make me look like a bad guy." Clearly he was joking but Bridget still felt a little put off by it. "Anyway, Bridget," Liam turned to her. "These are some of my closest mates."

He playfully nudged the tall guy's shoulder. "Daniel O'Connor." He walked near the black guy. "Jessup Malcolm or Jessie as we call him." Liam turned to Olivia and said with a over dramatic wave of his hand, "And our star amhránaí herself, Olivia Murphy."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Again with that star singer nonsense. There are plenty of better amhránaí than me."

"Aye but not with your ego." Daniel joked, his brown eyes full of mirth. Olivia slapped his shoulder in amusement.

"Now you both be nice," Jessie cut in. "We have ourselves a guest. Can't have her thinkin' bad thoughts of us. There has to be a reason Liam brought her here. So what's on with the girl, Liam?"

Bridget felt Olivia eye her, making the redhead feel a bit uneasy. "That's some interesting outfit you got there."

Bridget smiled uncertainly. "Yeah, well…I wear what I can get on really."

Olivia nodded in understanding. "I especially like those….egg-shaped spectacles you have on."

With a hand, Bridget pushed her glasses back and smiled more genuine. "Thanks, a very good friend of mine gave them to me."

"Must be a good friend."

"Yeah I'm actually looking for him and some other friends of mine."

Olivia raised her brows consciously. "Oh, a guy huh? Is he cute?"

Bridget tried very hard not to laugh out loud. "Uh, yeah he's cute." _"As a little Mini-Bunnymund can get that is." _

"Bridget here said she got separated from her friends earlier," Liam added. "I saw her working on a play when I found her." Bridget hoped she wasn't making a face when Liam mentioned that part. "I told her she can have a bite to eat with us before going to look for them."

Bridget turned her gaze right at Liam with confusion on her expression. "I-"

"Well we were about to have a late breakfast," Daniel interrupted, "We can help you look for them after that."

Bridget smiled in gratitude but said sheepishly. "Look I'm really flattered by your enthusiasm but I can look for my friends by myself." _"It's not like these guys could __**see **__the Guardians to find them anyways," _Bridget thought before her stomach growled noisily.

Olivia snorted while covering her mouth. "Looks like your belly says otherwise." She motioned her elbow toward a food stand. "We're about to grab some breakfast sausages from over there. You can join us like Liam suggested."

Bridget held up her hands. "I don't want to force myself in your group."

Liam placed a hand on her shoulder that Bridget wanted to step back out of instinct but decided against it. "You won't be," Liam promised with a smile. He gestured to some tables to sit at while he and the boys went to get the food.

Bridget still hesitated to walk over until Olivia walked over with an encouraging smile. "It's alright, I'll be sitting with ya. All that dancing made my legs all but fall out." Something about Olivia's easygoing attitude made the atmosphere feel pleasant.

Bridget smiled with a little more sincerity. "Okay then. Do you think **they **sell Well water at the booth?"

Olivia laughed. "Now I can see why Liam fancies you. Whatever you say is barking mad. Mad, but funny."

Hearing the world 'fancies' made Bridget frown. Olivia narrowed her eyes in interest. "Did I something wrong?"

Bridget decided that the table wasn't the most interesting thing to look at long enough to share eye contact with Olivia.

"I'm…" Bridget fondled with a paper napkin a few times before she ended up ripping it in half unknowingly. "I'm just…not really wanting to deal with a relationship right now."

Olivia gave a calculating look. "Previous boy troubles holding you back?"

Bridget shook her head. "No, not really. More like lack of boy troubles."

"Never had one boyfriend?" Olivia asked skeptically.

"For…personal reasons."

"Well for me it's the whole 'all of my mates are guys and a bunch of arses when you get to know 'em.'" Olivia snickered. "But joking aside they're actually a good lot, just not the best. Heh. Granted they are males and act like it so I shouldn't be complaining."

"At least you get to talk to them casually," Bridget defended. "I can barely do that anymore."

"Why not?"

Bridget sighed and muttered. "It's silly."

"C'mon you gotta tell me what's on. You even brought it up."

Bridget shrugged. "Fair enough. Okay, I…do sort of have a problem with this one guy-"

"One of your mates you got separated from." Olivia interjected.

"Yes, and for a while we've hit it off like good friends. There've been some moments of bickering, but it's been pretty nice besides that." Bridget smiled with her eyes dropping while staring at the table. "He's a very nice guy." Her eyes soon squinted in irritation. "Sure he can be a little infuriating with his jokes, his witty banter, childish attitude, and cane be big-headed and **loves **to break the rules..."

Olivia fought the urge to laugh like a maniac. She could tell Bridget was not longer talking consistently anymore; she was just letting out some steam.

"But besides that, he's actually a really nice guy once you get to know him. Yes he still has some cocky moments but when you get down to it, he's genuinely a very sweet person." Bridget smiled and looked at her laced fingers that rested on her lap. "He's generous when needs to be and when it's not needed. He cares about people with his whole being and…he knows how to get people happy or to have fun. He's also great with kids and knows when to be gentle with them. He's kind of like that with me too sometimes, I think.

"Jack's probably the first real friend I've had in a long time. Which is weird 'cause I've known him for such a short period of time and yet so much has happened already. But being with him has been so great. Now that I think about it, if it weren't for him I'd never made the friends I had now since he kinda introduced me to them since they were his friends to begin with."

Olivia smiled in an understanding way and nodded once. "I see, so what's stopping you from talking to 'Jack' about how you feel."

Bridget frowned and turned her head. "It's just really complicated right now. I really have no idea what my feelings are and there's just so much stuff that I'm not sure if it's the right moment."

"Like that play Liam mentioned?"

Bridget almost wanted to dance in relief for that being mentioned. "Yeah…the play. My friends and I are so busy with it, we can't find anytime to do anything that would be considered personal and stuff." She almost felt like doing the comedic forehead wiping but decided against it.

"How about later?"

"Pardon?" Bridget nearly shot her head up.

"You know when the play is over and done with. I'm sure after that they'll be plenty of time to talk to Jack. Probably go on a date or something like that to get to know 'im better. And if nothing leads to it then that's how if you connect in that way or not."

The only thing Bridget really focused on was the part of after the 'play.' Bridget never actually thought about what might happen after the Guardians and she (possibly) defeat the Morrígan. Vaguely Bridget thought everything would go back to the way it was before, but would that mean her going to live a 'normal' life in Burgess again? She never really did have a normal life to begin with but it was close to normal when she moved to that quiet Pennsylvanian town. People there treated her well, at least the adults and younger kids did. Teenagers, not so much. But did she really want to go back to that?

Bridget didn't want to sound selfish but after from all the stuff she did in the last week or so, she had a blast. It was the first time she ever had so much fun. It was almost like something out of the fantasy novels she loved to read. Could she go back to just reading about someone having an adventure when she lived it? Bridget was starting to know how Bilbo Baggins from _The Hobbit _felt. He never wanted to go on an adventure but he took that chance anyway and experienced something great and missed it through the _Lord of the Rings _several years later. Would Bridget end up like that? Missing the old adventures she go to do…or go almost bat-shit crazy for a golden ring that makes you go invisible? She **really **hoped that last one wasn't going to come true. She really didn't want to leave out on the adventure she was having either.

Yes, it was dangerous and life threatening but did that stop the Guardians? No, they risked their lives to save children, something that Bridget grew to admire since day one. It almost made her wish she could still help them out after they (possibly) stop the Morrígan. Maybe Bridget could become an unofficial, official, mythology consultant with the Guardians. It would be a good excuse for her to study more on magic and whatnot. She could even move into Santoff Claussen to better her-

Bridget grumbled in distaste. How selfish she was being? All she was caring about where her own needs when there were dozens, maybe a hundred people living in a wonderful, magical town that was literally dying from an unknown poison. And she couldn't forget about the kidnapped children. Seven of them being the only kids whom she ever really opened up to and two of them who she started to almost see as younger siblings.

"-I said are you there?"

Bridget blinked in confusion. "What?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I was trying to tell you that the guys are back with the food."

"Oh," Bridget slumped in her chair in embarrassment.

Liam smiled easy like and comforted her. "It's all right. Lot's of people need to mull things over and get pensive and all that. I know I do."

The others laughed, the tension slowly going away. "I got you sausage with some sliced breakfast chips if you don't mind." Liam laughed before adding, "They didn't have Well water unfortunately but they had some bottled water instead."

Bridget looked over at her plate and squinted her eyes in confusion. "But these aren't potato chips. They're French fries."

The group surrounding her laughed, leading Bridget to frown in humiliation. Clearly, there was a lot more to Ireland that she needed to learn about.

* * *

A small chirp could be heard from the spot Jack stood on a roof and he turned his attention to the sound. "I know Baby Tooth, but I still want to look up here some more in case Bridget walks down a corner or something."

Baby Tooth, while resting near Jack's hoodie, sighed. She was worried for Bridget as well but she knew that Jack knew that they needed to get back to the meeting point with the others in order to talk about their progress of finding the redheaded girl. They even titled the mission _B.B.O.B._, short for _Bring. Back. Our. Bridget._ Despite the name there was a lack of progress with having not found Bridget yet.

A few minutes passed and Jack sighed in defeat. For over two hours he searched and still nothing! How hard was for one person to get lost in a city? Okay, Wexford was much different than Santoff Claussen or Burgess for that matter. Seeing how Bridget was only in of those villages and **knew **what it looked like didn't give her much ground what another town could look like. Still Jack wished he at least had some clue where Bridget was. He felt like pulling his white hair out.

It was pretty much the wolf attack all over again. Only this time Jack didn't know how to help Bridget because she wasn't anywhere near him. He felt the same pain and fear for Bridget's life but for a much different scenario. He walked over to where a fire escape ladder was and climbed down the same way he did climbing it up earlier. He was careful to not land too hard on the car below him and somersaulted over its roof and hood and landed on the ground with ease. He lazily tapped the ground a few times for frost to form when he heard a familiar sound.

"Caw-caw."

Jack jerked his head up and his blue eyes narrowed when he saw a crow, resting on a lamppost attached to the building. Baby Tooth inched closer into Jack's hood when the crow stared directly at them. Before Jack could frostbite the rat with wings it flew off and over a corner. Without wasting anytime Jack chased after the bird, not caring how many people he and Baby Tooth phased through.

Jack was super close to zapping the bird when he heard another noise; this one was much less a threat and more of a relief. "How much longer until we get to the thrift store?"

Jack stopped momentarily and turned his head to the other side of the street. There on a sidewalk he saw five teenagers walking down it. One was a tall African-Irish boy; another was a skinny brown haired guy with his hands in his pockets. A girl with black hair and white highlights talked animatedly with... Bridget! Jack almost felt like flying. She was okay after all! Jack's eyes soon narrowed in confusion. Why was she with those-

"It's really craic on the street it's on." A male voice spoke up. Jack glanced at the two guys but saw not lip movement. When he looked over to where Bridget stood he saw another guy. He was around Bridget's height, save an inch or two taller, with a messy mop of blond hair and blue eyes. For some reason he spoke much more excitedly than the black haired girl. Something about him didn't feel right to Jack, especially seeing that the guy kept eyeing Bridget in a weird way.

"So there are drugs there?" Bridget arched an eyebrow in confusion.

The whole gang, minus Bridget, laughed at her. "He said craic as in fun, not **crack**," the girl said before laughing once more. Bridget blushed in embarrassment and lowered her head.

Jack scoffed in annoyance. Those people had no right to treat Bridget in that way. Only he and his fellow Guardians teased Bridget like that.

"So how long until we get to the store?" Bridget hurried the conversation to change.

"Just a block or two," the other girl answered. "You'll like it, there's loads of neat old-styled clothing on terrific prices. And probably some pants for you to wear. Unless that ripped part of it is an intentional design."

Bridget shook her head, her red braid shifting from side to side. "No it's not. Definitely not a fashion choice." She chuckled awkwardly.

"Thought so," the girl smiled a half-grin. "It shouldn't be hard to find some new trousers. The place we're going to has loads of 'em."

Bridget frowned like she was carrying a secret. Jack hoped she didn't tell those guys anything. The girl seemed nice but that blonde still didn't set well for Jack. "I don't really have any cash on me-at least not right now." Bridget quickly added.

The smiling girl smiled once more. "That's alright, you asking me e'ery question on my singing should be enough payment. Who'd a thought a girl would be so invested in something like that."

Jack smiled. _"She likes to know everything, that's why."_

Bridget scratched the back of her head and grinned. "I like to know about the stuff that happens around me. That's the sort of person I am, I think."

"_Nailed it." _ Jack soon felt a tug on his collar. Baby Tooth pulled earnestly before pointing toward where Bridget was walking.

Jack sighed. "I know we're supposed to go and find Bridget and take her back," he whispered. "But I just need to check this out a little longer. Besides she looks safe…at the moment." His eyes glanced near the blonde for a second. The five teenagers turned a corner and Jack soon fallowed.

He had his reason to not make Bridget aware he was there yet. He was curious as to how she was interacting with the mortal teenagers. He never saw it close up before; having not much of a care of teenagers though until Bridget became an exception to that rule. And for all he knew, she might've acted differently around them than she did with him and he had to know for sure on that. Plus, at the almost kis-moment on the other night Jack was still a bit hesitant to be near her.

Yeah, it was borderline stalking but when was the last time Jack trailed down someone?

Eventually they arrived to a street with some small town styled shops. Jack spied one that said the name _Charles' Charity Shoppe, _written in cursive. The appearance made the small store look hoity-toity; a word Jack never liked using because he never cared for those types of people either.

"_Uppercrusts."_

They never liked his snow enough to go outside and play in it. Jack shook his head; he was getting off track again. He put his attention back on the teens and saw Bridget and the other girl wave off the three boys before they went to a shop next door. Just as the door to the thrift shop was about to close Jack pushed it open slightly and slipped in fast enough for Bridget not to see.

Surprisingly the shop looked nothing like the sign up front. Jack marveled at the old objects around. The whole place looked like a crowed mess, and he liked it. Everywhere inside the shop would have been considered nostalgia's paradise. All sorts of old records from the 20s to the 70s stacked up on tables littered with other novelties. Furniture that seemingly popped out of the ones from Santoff Claussen cluttered the area. Shelves covered with worn-out books, board games, toys and old boomboxes with broken cassette tapes tucked inside. Over near the other side of the store the whole wall was completely covered with clothes that all looked like from different time periods.

There were fur coats toppled on the floor near some checkerboard slacks. Jack **really **hoped Bridget wouldn't pick that to wear.

Speaking of Bridget, she and the other girl stood near some handmade changing room booths with scarlet colored shower curtains to cover the entrance. Jack hid behind a coat rack while Baby Tooth hid near a novelty lampshade after slipping down from where Jack stood. The lampshade was shaped like a sheep.

"-All I'm saying is the best way to get a guy is to look somewhat presentable to him." The girl called out to Bridget who rolled her eyes.

"For the millionth time. I never said I liked him. I just…enjoy being around him." She blushed slightly at the last part. Jack leaned his head closer with interest.

"Mmhm, and that look of yours isn't the tell-tale sign of a lovestruck fool."

"Olivia," Bridget said in a very unhappy tone. "I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I need to focus on my…play with my friends."

"Ah, the one about the birds kidnapping the children?"

Jack nearly facepalmed. Was there anything else Bridget said about them?

"Yeah that," Bridget answered. The other girl, Olivia, squinted her eyes while absentmindedly looking at some brown shorts. "Is it supposed to be an allusion to all the recent kidnappings?"

Both winter spirit and redhead did a double take. Bridget tried to cover her surprise, to some extent. "You-you know about that?"

"Everyone's heard of it." Olivia frowned in what Jack assumed was reminiscent on something having to do with the global kidnappings. "None of the kids here in Wexford were taken but a few in the town I grew up in were. Barely any mums or dads let their kids stay outside these days with all of the news and Gardaí on patrol 24/7." Olivia shook her head in irritation. "It's been mental."

Bridget frowned, showing sympathy, before asking gently, "What's the name of the town you grew up in?"

Olivia smiled halfheartedly. "In the village of Kildare, in the same county. Sometimes it's called Naas, since it's the county town and all." She chuckled. "Such a small place compared to this town. Lovely church too. Go there every year with Ma and Da for Christmas Mass." Her pale green eyes were full of warmth and remembrance that Jack thought she wasn't aware of where she was anymore.

"Is it nice looking in the winter?" Bridget asked with keen interest.

"Aye, the whole place looks just like a Christmas card when the snow falls down." Jack smiled at hearing someone giving him praise, intentional or not. "But I don't regret coming here, I think I'm getting what I needed in Wexford."

"Like becoming an actress or singer?"

Olivia hid a knowing smile from Bridget. She shrugged. "Just what needs to be done I believe. You know, you should go to Kildare sometime. When Winter Solstice comes around the snow looks quite good."

For less than a second Jack swore he saw Olivia look his way and smile at him. When he tried to catch her eye contact again she didn't seem to notice him at all. He shook his head; he was seeing things, that was all.

"Found any pants yet?" Bridget called out while looking through a clearance bin.

Olivia pulled out the shorts from earlier. "These?"

Bridget shook her head. "It needs to be pants for cold weather."

Olivia drew out another pair of trousers, this time they were neon green.

Bridget scowled. "Too…80s. Nothing against that time era's music but the rest of the decade was kinda-eh." She made a hand motion of a so-so gesture.

Another pair of pants was taken out from Bridget's pile. The ones she pulled were plastic and see-through. "Who would even wear these?"

Olivia walked over and examined them. "Perhaps for a nudist practicing to put on normal clothing again."

Bridget sighed in defeat. "We're not gonna find anything normal here at all."

Jack gave the redhead a supportive look. He remembered how he had trouble finding his trademark hoodie those few years ago. His old shirt and cloak from his life in colonial America eventually nearly ripped from the seams and worn out. Years of testing out different shirts through various decades passed until he found the blue hoodie in a donation box outside of New York City. It was the only sweatshirt he could find without an 'I Heart NY' on the front.

Jack slowly lifted his head from the coat rack long enough to glance at the clothing around him. Much to his surprise when he spotted something on the coat rack the winter spirit came up with an idea. While using his cane Jack lifted the article of clothing and slowly placed it behind Bridget when her back was turned. He poked her neck causing the girl to jump up slightly, much to his amusement. When she turned around Bridget saw exactly what Jack wanted her to see.

Bridget felt something cold on her neck. It was very similar to a certain sensation she got recently from a certain Guardian. She turned around fast, but not from the cold, to see with hopeful eyes that Jack might be in the store. When she saw no one, save a coat rack near a sheep-shaped lamp Bridget sighed quietly. She had to get that darn winter spirit out of her mind. When her eyes glanced downward Bridget saw a very fortunate sight.

A pair of pants laid before Bridget on top of the ones she had discarded minutes before. It was a plaid designed pair of pants with red, green, and yellow coloring on the fabric. Bridget inspected the pair for any holes or stains and found none. She checked for the size and was glad to see it would fit her skinny waistline perfectly. She turned over to Olivia and shouted, "I think I found a pair."

Olivia turned over to have a look. She eyed the pants with slight doubt. "You sure about this one? Not many people walk around in plaid, even the Irish."

Jack rolled his eyes. _"Forgive me if I'm not aware of a stereotype."_

Bridget smiled. "I like 'em. It's probably because they're so normal looking without drawing too much attention. Plus the colors are red, yellow, and green. Perfect timing for Christmas being just around the corner."

Olivia blinked a few times before shrugging. "Have it your way. They're still pretty cheap as everything else here. It won't take much off of my allowance anyway."

"Great," Bridget smiled. "Let's rack up the cash register and get these on me."

"And you said I talk weird."

Jack watched them head to where the register was as he slowly got out of his hiding spot. Baby Tooth climbed out hers respectively and crawled on his shoulder again. She said a small chirp to him, saying that helping Bridget finding those pants for her was nice.

Jack smiled. "She does seem to like them a lot. Why don't we trail some more-Just until I know the people she's with are completely okay."

Baby Tooth wanted to roll her eyes at how obvious Jack was being but decided against it. "You know I think this place has an old gumball machine that hands out free candy." That got some interest from Baby Tooth; she could probably give some to her sisters. Just as long as they were sugar-free, of course. After all she couldn't upset Tooth with candy that could harm a person's teeth with sugar.

The two of them sneakily walked far from where Bridget and Olivia stood to where the gumball machine was. All four of them were so engrossed with their own respective activities that none of them noticed a lone crow sitting on a branch near the shop. Its beady eyes stared darkly at the Guardian of Fun before they turned toward the human girl with blood red hair. Something about that girl was starting to intrigue the crow's mistress and it wasn't sure if it was good or bad yet. The bird slowly flapped its wings before flying in to the air, waiting for the other shop's door to open. When the crow saw three boys come out, one with yellow hair, that it knew what it need to do.

While dropping at least one feather the crow flew away. The feather flew in the air for a second before landing onto of Liam's head. "Oi, what's that thing on your top, Liam?" Jessie asked. Right as he said that the feather crumbled into dust.

"Whoa," Daniel jumped back in alarm. "What's that all about?"

A few particles of the dust landed into Liam's eye before he blinked. He stared into space for a few moments. "Oi, oi, Liam? Are you alright mate?"

Liam turned his head toward the window where he saw the girls. Bridget was admiring her some new pants, showing a bit a skin from under her shirt unknown to her. Liam's mates didn't notice his uncharacteristic smirk as he glanced at Bridget.

"I'm perfectly fine, guys. Very, very **fine**."

* * *

**Q-A: **Oh boy, what evil magic does the Morrígan have up her feathery sleeve now? As for those who don't know Irish music the song Olivia was sing to is called _Dúlamán._ A very fun and catchy tune about seaweed courting Irish seaweed's daughter. XD Don't the Irish have such silly songs? You should check it out. I highly advise listening to the _Celtic Women _version with its very good beat and chorus used throughout most of it. And the _Anuna_ version on _YouTube_ by an all male choir is great too. But listen to Celtic Women first since it's at a slower pace and easier to catch on to.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	19. Guardian's Creed

**Disclaimer: **DreamWorks and The Greater God of Moonbots own RotG. I own story and O.C's but nothing else.

* * *

_~Guardian's Creed~_

"How much further until we find that pharmacy?" Bunny asked with growing impatience.

"Not too long!" Tooth chirped with some of her sunny disposition slowly coming back.

A few hours passed since the Guardians began their B.B.O.B operation. Unfortunately, they still had not found Bridget yet and Jack didn't come for the time to rendezvous. He was probably fine; he was never on time for meetings back the Pole. He was most likely still looking for Bridget and lost track of time (that's at least what the other Guardians were trying to reassure themselves).

The remaining Guardians regrouped and decided the best way to keep from getting more people lost was to stick together. They lost more ground to move and spread out but if it meant less of them becoming misplaced the better. It was at that time that Tooth suggested they and the author quoted, "Polish two teeth with one strand of floss!"

In other words, look for Bridget and give the money to the pharmacy while they're at it.

Bunnymund did not like the sound of that idea, believing it would be a waste of time. After Tooth gave him an unhappy look which changed his mind straight away. Nightlight suggested they should take the advice Bridget had said earlier and look for the pharmacy on a map. They found a directory map on a Welcoming Centre in the downtown area. With the advantage of being invisible to most people the Guardians could look down the list of pharmacy names and found the one under J for Joyce. It wasn't long until they found the address as well.

"Balakirev," North smiled a toothy grin. "Looks like the pharmaceutical izn't far from this spot ve are at now."

Bunny sighed. "Good, the sooner we find that place, the sooner we'll find Jack and the Big Ankle-biter."

Sandy nodded in agreement.

"I can't wait to give the money to them." Tooth spoke while leaning near North so she would fall again. As they vacated the premises Nightlight was much more quiet than usual. He couldn't help be wonder what might happen **when **they arrive to the pharmacy?

* * *

"Oh-oh," North glanced over while standing near a street side corner. _Joyce's Pharmacy_ was full of Irish policemen, news reporters, and regular civilians simply on looking the site before them. "Looks like news of the so-called burglary has spread."

"Obviously," Bunny rolled his eyes.

Tooth's pink amethyst eyes turned downcast. There were so many people out there. Even if most of them couldn't see the Guardians there was still the possibility of getting sighted none of the less. She bowed her head whilst a Mini-fairy handed her an enchanted bag holding millions of coins from different countries, sorted out by date of print and gleam grouping. "You were right the whole time Bunny, this whole thing was pointless." The Mini-fairy and her sisters made small chirps in condolence.

Bunny dropped his jaw in shock and quickly shook his head. "I never said this was pointless and I don't think it is." When Tooth didn't raise her head Bunny did a very unexpected thing and jumped right onto her lap, much to his embarrassment and her surprise.

Bunny stared her down despite the height differentiation. "If there's one thing I hate seeing someone losing hope, is when it's one of my mates." He glanced down sadly before admitting, "Back on the cliffs wasn't a good example for all of us. But Bridget didn't lose hope. And as long one person still holds on to it, anything can happen. So I don't want you to give up that easily since this was what you wanted in the first place_." _

Tooth smiled and looked warmly at Bunny. "Jack and me were right all along. You do care."

If rabbit's could blush Bunny would've had a very red face at this point. As for being a Pooka, that was another story altogether. Uncharacteristically Bunny muttered something before he hopped off again. Tooth gave him a confused look before glancing toward the others. Sandy shrugged while Nightlight stared at where Bunny sat. North was still at his spot behind the street corner, having not left his attention from the Gardaí or the pharmacy.

North hummed with keen interest. "To think they call themselves 'Guardians' and yet none of them had ever spoken with Manny. The vorld is a much stranger place than I remember." He quickly turned over to his fellow Guardians and asked, "Can any of you get a grasp of vhat the Irish are saying. I love their accents, but get troubled vith trying to understand them. If only this vas a movie vhere they have subtitles to read vhat the people say."

The other Guardians stood behind North and took in at the scene before them.

"Authorities are still baffled by the attempted robbery here at this local pharmaceutical." A female reporter in warm clothes and styled blond hair spoke directly in front of a cameraman. "So far the whole area has been searched for any possible suspects or traces left by the possible thieves. The most recent sources claim that the only damage found inside were medicines fallen off of counters and a entire pyramid of vitamins."

Nightlight's mien became sheepish when the Guardians eyed him.

"But what is bewildering even the most seasoned Gardaí is the unusual incident of no money was stolen. The only item stolen has been informed to be an expensive antibiotic medicine. When the owner of this establishment was alerted of the break-in he claimed that none of the money inside the deposit or safe was taken. Stranger occurrences showed signs that while the pharmacy was indeed broken-into there were no signs of foot-or-fingerprints anywhere inside."

* * *

"This unusual robbery has baffled many people as of early this morning. No one seems to know who stole the antibiotics and why?" No sounds were heard except for the occasional pub patron calling out for another round of _Guinness _beer. _The Wrens Nest _was buzzing with much more activity than normal with that batch of interesting news.

Bridget and her new Irish acquaints were sitting in that pub, tired from a full morning of shopping and showing the redhead all their favorite spots. Bridget had learned much from them already and even gained a few gifts from the shopping trip. She insisted that none of them should by her handouts but Liam, in a very overzealous way, declared it was a good way of being hospitable toward her. Even his mates found his choice of words odd. But before anything else could be established a special news report came on while they were having a few drinks at the pub the news came on.

"It's difficult to tell what exactly the true motives behind this robbery but the Gardaí and crime scene analysts will find out the meaning to it all." The reporter said with a firm conviction."

"_Why can't the floor just suck me in?" _Bridget thought with a worried confliction. _"Is it because I use to smell that it doesn't want me?" _Much to the redhead's luck earlier she had help from Olivia in finding **one **public bathhouse in Wexford. The feeling of non-oily hair and clean skin felt great. It unfortunately didn't help with the mood she was having at the moment.

Not even the drink helped calm her nerves. Bridget made it clear to the others she wasn't going to have anything that would harm her liver and stuck with plain water with a lemon wedge. They didn't complain since it was the cheapest thing on the menu.

Olivia glanced over at Bridget's direction to order another refill. When she saw Bridget the way she looked Olivia had a feeling something was on.

"Got a problem," Olivia asked in her blunt way. Bridget stopped staring at the ground long enough to shook her head once and take a slow sip of her drink. Olivia sighed. "Come now there has to be something bothering you."

Bridget breathed out and stuttered. "I-I just-I'm worried for my friends, that's all."

Olivia arched an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"I haven't seen a trace of them all this morning and I'm afraid they might get hurt." She knitted her eyebrows in worry.

"_Or arrested." _Bridget thought the last one to herself.

Olivia opened her mouth until Liam cut in. "I'm sure they're okay." He smiled widely at Bridget with his eyes crinkling. "Jus' a few more drinks and we'll be off."

He winked at her once before joining the guys for another 'Sláinte' or cheers for no reason other than they could. "He didn't even mention about looking for my friends." Bridget said in an annoyed tone. She crossed her arms underneath the bar table, her legs kicking back and forth across the barstool she sat on.

Olivia nodded with sympathies but smirked, "So you're bored of us already?"

Bridget's frown deepened before she shook her head. "No. I just worried for them. All of them mean a lot to me."

On a far edge of the pub, where it happened to have grown increasingly cold, Jack Frost sat on a lone chair with a Mini-fairy on the table Jack casually prepped his feet on. Baby Tooth munched on a saltine cracker with honey while Jack quietly observed the five teenagers at the bar. He smiled when Bridget mentioned how much she cared for her 'friends.' He and Baby Tooth knew right away what the redhead implied.

Excessive laughter was heard from the blond guy who sat two chairs from Bridget. Jack knew that blond had a name, but he wasn't going to bother acknowledging it. He'd forget it in a few days anyway because Bridget was bound to forget that jerk too. Right? She was going to come back to the Guardians and help with the mission. It's not like she wanted to stay in Wexford instead. Her home was in Burgess.

Wasn't it?

Bridget wanted to go back with Jamie and the others, no questions needed right?

It's not like something would make her change her mind about the whole situation and-

"You should go and have some craic at the _Orphan Girl_," Liam now sat on Bridget's left with an arm lazily resting on barstool's back. Tauntingly. Almost. Touching the small of **her **back….

The air in that one corner in the pub dropped in temperature.

"That guy knows nothing about personal space," Jack said with a tightened jaw. His chest tensed while he stared dangerously at Liam. "Doesn't he notice by now Bridget has a personal bubble?"

"I swear the nightclub is a lot of craic," Liam spoke with his eyes half-lidded. Bridget sipped her water quietly and keeping eye contact **away **from the guy. Even when she was out of water she pretended to still be drinking so that she didn't have to talk back to him. It was rude but Bridget never developed good people skills to begin with.

"_Quit saying it's crack," _Jack thought while his hand gripped his staff threateningly. _"Bridget is in no way a drug addict."_

"Not only are the drinks great but there's a lot of dancing with loads of people to meet."

"Liam," Bridget finally took herself out of her drink long enough to speak with him using an uncomfortable expression. "I know you're trying very hard to be nice, but I what I really want to do with my time is look for my-"

Liam looked like he didn't hear a word of that. "Sure, sure but there's a lot of-Wha!" The blond jumped in the air and hollered in surprise. He was so surprised that he pushed his chair hard enough to fall over. The force was strong enough to crush away the ice that formed on his rear end. Olivia covered her mouth in shock while Bridget sat in her seat with wide eyes, unsure whether to find the situation funny or serious.

"Whoa," Jessie called out in alarm. He and Daniel ran over to help their friend out. "You alright, mate?"

Liam grunted while he rubbed the back of his head. He winced from the pain and the one in the lower regions as well. "Something bit me real hard."

"More like frosted you, _mate,_" Jack muttered mockingly while lowering his recently used staff on Liam's butt. From where he sat Jack could see that jerk was trying to play some moves on Bridget and was even about to place a hand on her. That wasn't going to settle with Jack at all.

Olivia got up and placed hers and Bridget's tab on the counter. "Told you lot the weather's been getting mental."

"But inside a pub?" Daniel asked with wide suspicion. Olivia didn't seem to care as she told Bridget to get her backpack that held all her things including the recently shopped items. Bridget held no objections and quickly got up. Just then the reporter called out in alarm. She called out in there was breaking news at the scene of the crime.

Bridget paled as her breathing hitched slightly. _"Please don't be what I think it is."_

"We just found two new items found at the counter where the antibiotics originally were." An officer replied toward the camera. He appeared to be the chief of police or Gardaí to be accurate.

"_Please, please, please, please, don't be whom I think it is." _Bridget mentally prayed, even secretly pressing her hands together.

"Here is a woolen sack filled with Euros that cover the price of the medicine that was taken." The Chief Gardaí spoke again while holding the object in question with gloved hands. "Next to it was a note that is written in cursive in a brief statement. "'We apologize for taking the medicine without the owners consent. A friend of ours was gravely ill and needed to be taken care of.'"

"_Oh god, why?" _Bridget wanted to hit her head against the table but decided not to.

"'We are sorry for the inconvenience we placed everyone here. Hopefully you can understand the precautions that were done on our part and can forgive us.'" The Chief tried to hide his confusion from the odd note. "It was signed with the initials of _N. S. T. B. _and _NL._ So far no fingerprints have been determined on this note or the bag that was left here moments ago."

No one seemed sure as to how that bag and note came there and why. Only three beings connected to each other in the most magical ways in The Wrens Nest did. Baby Tooth sighed and rolled her purple and blue eyes. That letter was definitely written by her mother. Jack groaned exasperated from what he just learned from the news. To think they have the gull to say Jack liked drawing attention to him and that he shouldn't do it. But they were aloud to go out and literally change things in a crime scene just so they could all have clear consciences?

Bridget was torn. She didn't know what to feel there and then. Scared that the Guardians had gone ahead and done their plan or if the police/Gardaí might actually see something and go after the-Bridget frowned and mentally shook her head. She couldn't afford to think that way.

"Well that's completely odd," Olivia stated as a matter of fact. Bridget could only nod.

"At least the people who broke in sound like they didn't mean it," Jessie replied after helping Liam.

"Or it could be some prank," Daniel offered. "Loads of kids do stuff like that."

Liam smiled and placed his hands on his sides. "It doesn't matter. Let's go and do some more craic."

"_Stop using that word!" _Jack groaned in annoyance.

"Personally I just want to go and look for my friends." Bridget sighed. "The p-thieves might come after them." She fidgeted her bracelet not noticing Olivia giving her a look of puzzlement.

"Right, right we'll be doing that soon," Liam waved like it was no problem.

Bridget sighed, she was starting to get annoyed with Liam's behavior.

"Tóg go bog é," Olivia patted Bridget's back gently. The redhead eyed the black-haired girl.

"It means to 'take it easy,'" Olivia explained. She and Bridget slowly walked out while Jack followed them a few feet away, not making any sounds with his steps. "Liam gets interested by jus' about anything that fancies him. You, yourself included."

Bridget frowned and shook her head.

"Right, right, you don't want to deal with that whole relationship business until you talk to your….guy-friend about it, right?"

Bridget shrugged, not wishing to bring it up. "I just hope Liam will know when to quit. No offence but he is sounding a **little **bit overfriendly don't you think?"

Olivia glanced over Liam's direction, seeing animatingly talking with Jessie and Daniel before he waved at the girls, inciting them to come on over. Olivia turned back toward Bridget and shrugged. "He's usually a cheerful person. My Ma always spoke that 'continual cheerfulness is a sign of wisdom.'" She placed a hand under her chin while in thought. "But he's been acting a bit more cheery than normal." He had been acting odd since they left the thrift shop.

"Probably means he must be a genius," Bridget grinned with humor.

"Ha! Genius and Liam don't really mix I'm afraid." Olivia snickered. "It would mean the end of the world." Soon enough both of them were laughing, much to the confusion of the three boys waiting at the door.

Jack couldn't help but laugh silently while he followed the five teenagers once more. Baby Tooth pulled on his collar until he looked her way. "I know we're suppose to get her but I just need to…wait out for the right moment." His blue eyes trailed onto the blond who walked closely near Bridget. _"And to see if that guy tries something." _

Baby Tooth didn't look convinced by Jack's explanation and crossed her feathery arms. The winter spirit raised his hands up with his cane still clasped in one hand. "Don't forget what we just saw on the T.V. The others might have to deal with the police for a while now. Of course they can't see the Guardians but they should still hide out until the heat dies down. It'll just be a few hours and then we can go and show ourselves to Bridget get the heck outta Wexford. Does that sound go to you?"

Baby Tooth thought in consideration and sighed in defeat. Jack was right and they didn't have much of a choice. It wasn't like she could fly back to Tooth anyway with that darn curse that the Morrígan place on them.

After hearing a final chirp from the Mini-fairy Jack smirked in triumph. "Let's get going then, Baby Tooth."

The little fairy sighed once more. This whole situation had the word 'bad' written all over it.

* * *

North had never seen anything stranger than what he and his fellow Guardians had just accomplished. To think Nightlight had 'barrowed' Tooth's coin purse underneath her nose, written out a note and placed both of them in the center of where the so-called crime took place. The reaction the humans had on their faces was almost as hysterical as the ones Tooth and Bunny had. They were too busy to notice for obvious reasons.

North chuckled when he remembered the scene back in the old work shed in Santoff Claussen. He had known there was something going on since Bunny reacted badly to when Manny told them Jack Frost was to become a Guardian. It wasn't just that old business with the Blizzard of '68, it was something much more personal….Oh-oh!

But before he could muse over that drabble North realized his booming laughter caught the attention of two German Sheppard police dogs and they took notice of the tiny Bunny. Similar to the blood-wolves from before Bunny instinctively started to bolt until Sandy got a hold of him. The eldest Guardian kept a cool head as he slowly stepped back. The dogs kept growling in protest. They didn't want the small animal being further away from their range of vision until their handlers ushered them back to the crime scene, completely unaware of the beings only animals could see without needing the true power of belief.

"Phew," North sighed in relief. He adjusted his black fur hat before giving the Sandman an approving nod. "Good vork, Sandy."

Sandy placed Bunny down gently before giving North his usual thumb's up. Bunny coughed, embarrassed at his previous behavior. "Yeah, uh-thanks Sandy." He looked down to the ground, disgraced with how he reacted.

"It was some quick thinking there." Tooth added. The remaining Mini-fairies chirped small sighs of relief.

Nightlight, who had returned from his relinquishing of the coins, raised his hand up to get the others attention. With his handy-dandy notebook, Nightlight wrote something down from them all to read.

Since we got this whole thing dealt with, why don't we go and find Bridget? Obviously Jack is still looking for her and would like the extra help. That part I am sure about.

North looked over the message and nodded firmly. "Yes, ve already spent time on coin giving now let's go and find Leetle Girl."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Tooth said to the Ex-Cossack. She continued speaking of her worry toward the redheaded girl and hoped for the best. Sandy walked along with the others when he noticed Bunny staggering behind slightly. The little man arched an eyebrow before walking toward him. He offered the Guardian of Hope a look, inclining the pooka that he could talk with him.

Bunny sighed before admitting, "I was not exactly being very brave back there." He shook his head in frustration. "I haven't been acting like the battler I've always been. I hate that I'm this size and can't do anything about it. I swear when I get my hands on that Scut I'll."

"Bunny, Sandy!" North called out. He, Tooth, and Nightlight had passed by the corner. "Quit vith the dally of the dilly. Ve must find Bridget! And Jack too if he's not safe…Tooth he **is **fine. Stop losing feathers over this!"

Bunny sighed one last time before glowering unintentionally at Sandy. "Be grateful mate that you aren't useless like I am." He stalked off as a bunny could and turned over to the corner where the others were.

Sandy sighed visibly before looking at the sky. It was the middle of the afternoon, which meant that the sun would fall not too long from that point in time and the moon would rise. For being as old as he was Sandy had a feeling the Man in the Moon might just give them a right push in the direction. Just a sign was all they needed.

If only he knew that MiM already gave them one.

* * *

"_By the rising of the moon, by the rising of the moon  
For the pikes must be together by the rising of the moon."_

Four musicians played at a corner street. Uilleann pipes, a round drum, a tin whistle and accordion played off each other in a steady tempo. Despite the song mentioning of a moonrise it was still mid-afternoon in Wexford. People were still walking around either doing some errands that needed to be done or retrieve their children from school. Children would crowd near the musicians and enjoy the song while their parents were nearby listening to it as well. Some were kind enough to give the players tips into an open accordion case that was slowly filling up with Irish currency. Five teenagers passed by the musicians with one staying behind momentarily.

Bridget eyed the band curiously while listening to the song. She remembered seeing the drum and whistle before but she never saw Uilleann pipes though. She did recall reading a book that told what an accordion looked and sounded like so she was good for that instrument.

"_All along that singing river that black mass of men was seen  
High above their shining weapons flew their own beloved green  
Death to every foe and traitor! Whistle out the marching tune  
And hurrah, me boys, for freedom, 'tis the rising of the moon!"_

Bridget felt a tap on her shoulder and saw a grinning Liam with the other teens close behind. "Come on," he said. "We've got a lot more stuff to do and **see**."

Olivia walked over to where she stood before they walked away from the musicians. Not before she left a pound for the musicians, of course.

"Gotta show my respect toward my fellow musicians now." Olivia smiled.

"What song are they playing?" Bridget craned her head hoping to hear the sound more in a different angle.

"The Rising of the Moon," Olivia answered with a small grin on her features. "It's one of the ballads from the Rebellion of 1798. It was back when we Irish wanted our own land out of British rule. It's a deep meaning for the people in Ireland from all that bloody pride and desire to be independent. Loads of people still feel like that now. "

"It can be also be mentioned that Wexford was the place where the Rebellion started up," Daniel puffed up his chest, hinting a strong pride he had for his hometown.

"Like how the state of Texas still wants to withdraw itself from the U.S. of A?" Bridget asked Olivia with curious eyes. The allusion sounded too good to pass.

Olivia, not familiar with American history, blinked a few times until she nodded slowly.

Bridget smiled, happy to have found a coincidence within history. She almost wanted to do a victory dance but decided against it.

"Boy the Rebellion of '98." Jack leaned casually on a lamppost nearby. "That was one heck of a year," he spoke to no one in particular, knowing well enough that not many people could see or hear him. "So many battles and tons of bodies." Baby Tooth, who was sitting in Jack's hood, winced slightly at the imagery Jack was making. "Basically everyone back there was trying to mimic the American Revolution." Jack snickered like it was a funny joke. "To be honest I don't think Ireland would last that long looking back at what happened in France." He winced at the memory of all of those crazed radicals slicing their enemies heads off. "Jeez, and people complain politics today is ruthless."

Baby Tooth pulled on Jack's hood to get his attention. He almost thought she wanted him to quit talking until he saw what Baby Tooth was pointing at. The twit was trying to place an arm over Bridget's shoulder. Without hesitating Jack lifted his cane and zapped exactly where Liam stood and slipped to the ground. Thankfully he didn't grab Bridget and she was still standing.

It was becoming a recurring occurrence that Jack would become a…Guardian for Bridget against the lecherous moves that Liam would attempt. It wasn't as bad as earlier but for some reason after the five teenagers and Jack left the thrift shop Liam looked as though he wanted to get…uh frisky (Jack wasn't sure it that was the kind of word kids in the current generation still used) with Bridget. Either way it didn't settle well for Jack at all.

Not only did he freeze sidewalks Liam would instantaneously be walking on but also the winter spirit created a personal game of 'See How Many Times Twitty-Blonde Gets His Butt Frozen.' So far Jack was winning by forty-seven points.

It was a fun game to say the least but no matter what Liam didn't seem to take a hint and continued pursuing Bridget. Jack had to admit that Twitty-Blonde had determination. He only wished that it wasn't set out on Bridget.

"Say, uh Liam?" Speaking of which, Bridget called out toward the twit in question. Jack continued following the humans carefully without losing his cover. "Can we talk?"

Liam chuckled. "Aren't we talking now?"

Bridget frowned and repressed a sigh. "I meant about a subject."

"Sure anything, and I mean **anything.**" Liam said the last word like it was the most innocent idiom. Jack rolled his eyes at how obvious and annoying the twit was being. "We can talk alone if you'd like," Liam spoke seductively.

Jack was prepared to make a blizzard by this point until he heard, "Actually I **would **like that." Bridget answered, not in the least phased by the flirtation.

The winter spirit's widen his eyes in shock. His chest tightened and weighed heavily like a glacier. She didn't really mean that….right?

"Ohh~!" Daniel snickered until Jessie elbowed him in the stomach. Olivia eyed the blonde and redhead with suspicion but said nothing. Liam gestured an alleyway near the group. Bridget looked down the open-aired hallway for inspection. When she saw nothing out of the ordinary she and Liam walked down, not before being trailed by a troubled Guardian.

Jack hid behind a large trash compounder and craned his head so it would be erect enough to look over his hiding spot slightly. Bridget and Twitty-Blonde stood underneath an alley light that displayed their clothing and themselves in a brighter appearance. If Jack were looking at their shadows he would've noticed how normal Bridget's looked and how ominous and bird-like Liam's was starting to form.

"So," Liam raked his fingers through his hair, giving it a more bed-head look. "What do you want to talk about? Unless you don't want to talk at all and-"

Bridget raised her hand to silence him. This was getting on long enough for her. "Liam," she began in the most composed voice she could muster. "I was grateful at first with all the help you've been giving me-"

"I'm happy you-"

"Shush, I'm not done yet," Bridget, barked, surprising both Liam and Jack. Even Baby Tooth was surprised by the small outburst. "All day, I've been only asking one thing and one thing only was for you to let me go look for my friends. But did you listen? No~. You were too busy with showing me around when you should've been helping me like you promised. But not once did you bring it up. The only person who probably did was Olivia and she seemed the most reasonable in your group. Well, besides Jessie perhaps but that's not the point."

"I don't think I like that tone you're using on me." Liam narrowed his eyes threateningly.

Bridget rolled her eyes. "What are you trying to sound like? My Dad? Well guess what, I don't even ha-"

Liam grabbed her wrist unexpectedly and glowered. "I didn't play nice this afternoon to get turned off at every chance. I want answers and you'll be giving them now!"

Bridget struggled while trying to tug Liam away. "What answers?"

Liam smirked a Cheshire grin. Jack was reading his staff when Liam began, "Everything you know about those Fals-Ack!" He jerked away when something cold and mucus-y latched onto his arm. Sal made an uncharacteristic growl noise as he slapped his tail all over Liam's arm. Bridget widened her eyes momentarily before remembering the situation she was in. Jack and Baby Tooth exchanged looks of confusion and gaped silently at the sight before them.

Liam yelled before he ripped Sal clean off his arm and threw the poor amphibian to the ground. Before he had time to squash the salamander Bridget grabbed Liam by the arm and looked at him dangerously.

"You almost crushed my pet salamander. The very same one that Olivia helped me get food for this afternoon." Bridget's grip on Liam's arm tightened as fire almost ignited on her hand. She cooled down enough before finishing, "You sir, are a genuine-as the Irish would say-ARSEHOLE!"

In one swoop, Bridget punched him square faced in the jaw with a backfist. The force and surprise-attack pushed Liam making him fall down into a row of trashcans, causing a loud banging noise that echoed across the alley. Without removing her gaze from the unconscious blond, Bridget scooped up Sal and placed him back in her coat pocket.

"_Note to self, don't get on Bridget's bad side either. She knows __Tae Kwon-Do."_ Jack decided to get out of his hiding spot and make himself known. Bridget exhaled noisily with her hands still in the fighting position she used on Liam. She soon noticed Jack standing near but remained silent.

"Whoa," Jack scrutinized the fallen over Liam with a hand under his chin. He glanced back at Bridget and said, "And here I thought you needed **my **help." He smiled before twirling his staff once.

Bridget got out of her fighting stance and placed her hands akimbo. "It might've become a good use later on." She soon crossed her arms while giving Jack a displeased look. "Like when I was just leaving the thrift shop and Liam started acting weird."

Jack frowned and scratched his head. "You knew I was there." It was said like a statement, not a question.

Bridget sighed. "Yeah, I might not be-officially-blind anymore but I can still hear pretty well. And the whole freezing and slipping Liam up?" She shook her head. "To think if it weren't for that, I could've been back with the others. For shame on you." Bridget pointed at Jack with an unamused face.

Jack smiled sheepishly. "You gotta admit the whole freezing the Twitty-Blonde thing was sort of funny."

Bridget snorted slightly at the 'Twitty-Blonde' phrase. Why didn't she think of that? "A little bit." She smiled slightly and Jack grinned back. Baby Tooth chirped and Bridget grinned at the little Mini-fairy.

"And from what I heard Jack said earlier you wanted to go back to the others." Bridget glanced at Jack and a half-smile. "At least she cared about my wellbeing."

"Hey I did too," Jack insisted.

"All that stalking counted as looking out for me?"

Baby Tooth chirped at Jack as if to say 'Told you so.' Jack shook his head. "I wasn't 'stalking-'" he used air-quotes-"I was just…trailing behind to make sure those guys were safe for you."

Bridget nodded but not believing at word of it. "Uh-huh, so then care to explain why you couldn't just-oh I don't know, come over and show you were there and take me back?"

Jack raised his arms up in defense. "How was I supposed to with all those people around?"

"C'mon you're invisible, remember? You could've just walked over and talked to me." Bridget continued speaking and explaining how Jack could've helped her excuse herself from the four teenagers without noticing something strange behind them. By the trashcans where the unconscious form was, the black feather from before reformed over Liam's head. It burst into a puff of dust once more and cascaded all over Liam's face. For a mere second his blue eyes could be seen until they turned into blood red.

Baby Tooth chirped with worry and Jack turned to see where she was pointing. Bridget ceased her ranting she noticed Jack turning around. Both of them hold stunned looks when Liam climbed up from the pile of trashcans that had toppled over him. His red eyes glowed brightly, showing no signs of a lax or easy-going nature.

"I will not get bested by a worshiper and her False God!"

Bridget paled and muttered to Jack. "Did he just say…?"

Jack went into his usual fighting stance and clasped his crooked staff. "I heard it."

Liam screamed, the cry sounding more like a crow's, and charged the two with intense speed. Jack pushed himself and Bridget away for the possessed Liam to almost crash into the wall only for him to kick off the wall and land on his feet.

Jack narrowed his eyes and glared at the blond. "Now he's using my own fighting style against me?"

"What is it called exactly?" Bridget forgot the situation and asked with a tilt of her head.

"Parkour," Jack answered quickly as he half-dragged her out of the alley and into another street that was completely empty. "It was invented in the, like, the 1980s or something-But that's not the point right now!" Jack composed himself while glancing toward the alley opening.

When a caw was heard Jack mentally cursed before pulling Bridget into another direction away from Liam. "What we really need to focus on right now is getting far from…whatever the guy is now."

"He said something about a worshiper and False God." Bridget said in remembrance.

"The Morrígan must've put a spell on him." Jack replied. "And here I thought he was just being a jerk."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Bridget decided to change the subject. "Look, I think what we need to do right now is finding a way to stop Liam. Running from him isn't going to help. He knows these streets like the back of his hand." She frowned in annoyance. "Trust me, that's was all he ever said when I asked him if he knew how to find you guys."

"There's no way that Twitty-Blonde could catch up to us and-" As if on cue Liam jumped out of a different path from the alleyway and smirked devilishly at the Guardian, human, and Mini-fairy. The three of them tensed when they saw what Liam was starting to look like. Certainly a blond teenager isn't usually scary but when black feathers start growing where hair should be and the cursed boy starts moving in traits nearly identical to a bird's. His red eyes were filled with the lust to fight; a fight he desired to win.

"What was that about Liam not being able to catch up?" Bridget scowled but directly glared at Liam instead.

Liam chuckled darkly, the sound reverberating like a crowing. "The Phantom Queen is starting to lose her patience." Underneath his belt Liam pulled out a feather that soon formed into a black dagger. He smiled an unfriendly smile toward Bridget. "She despises how you've been an nuisance. You're false words are making her beautiful, despairing, reality crumble."

Bridget gave out a blank look and deadpanned, "Yeah he's totally influence by some weird magic. No one in this day and age talks like that."

"Not sure if people in my time talked like that either." Jack grinned back with a whisper.

"STOP IGNORING ME!" Possessed-Liam charged once more until Jack grabbed Bridget and dodged the hit. Unlike last time when Liam only hit a few trashcans before the wall, Liam could now leave a noticeable dent on the wall with several cracks in the brick. He poised himself much easier this time and looked fiercely at the others. Baby Tooth chirped in worry and Jack offered for her to hide in his hoodie pocket. She quickly went inside without any objections. Bridget was starting to wish she could just hide somewhere that was safe.

Jack shifted his eyes near Bridget muttering, "Running would probably be a good idea right now."

"Agreed," Bridget squeaked before Jack clutched her wrist and led her to a dumpster. He climbed onto top of it and then offered a hand for her.

"Uh, Jack I thought we're running, not climbing." She accepted the hand none of the less and jumped onto dumpster's closed lid.

"We are," Jack, said as he pulled down on a ladder from a fire escape hatch. "First we gotta get some ground from bird-man over there."

Bridget inched away in fear. "You mean climb up those stairs and…jump over rooftops."

Jack smiled nervously while drawing out his hand. "For the most part."

Bridget frowned and shook her head. "There has to be another-" she was cut short when a volley of back feathers almost grazed the back of her head. "I wanted to jump over rooftops." She immediately clasped her hand with Jack's and he pulled her up. More feathers lobed at them but only reached the brick wall.

With some effort Jack and Bridget were able to pull the ladder up. Jack turned the metal frozen and unmovable. "Good thinking," Bridget complimented Jack.

He grinned before replying, "Figured this would give us more time." In a second later they both went to the build's first floor escape ladder and scramble toward the roof.

Climbing up the escape ladder was easier said then done but Bridget didn't bother complaining with Bird-Liam hot on hers and Jack's tracks. It had become apparent that Bird-Liam's strength doubled in the last few minutes and he pulled the ladder down with ease. After a few floors Jack and Bridget climbed up to the roof. When he heard cawing that was growing louder Jack zapped toward the direction where the bird-man was. Jack smiled triumphantly when he spotted another roof that was a good six feet from the one they currently stood on.

"All we need to do is jump over that ledge and we'll be at the other side." Jack pointed.

Bridget gulped nervously and asked, "And how do we do that precisely?"

"Run to get some speed and spring over to the next one." Jack said and ran quickly. Bridget followed but only out of fear that Jack might fall. He did exactly as he said would happen and preformed an atterrissage while landing on the roof. Bridget sighed in relief while Jack threw her a relaxed smile and leaned casually on his staff. "Does this mean you about me?"

Bridget flushed and turned away. "I thought it would be bad for the ground if you splattered all over it." Jack snickered at how blunt and silly her words were being. "No one could see it so they couldn't clean it up."

Jack smiled at her way before his pupils reduced in size. "Bridget, behind you!"

Bird-Liam was five feet away and speeding up. Without much of a choice Bridget sprinted and jumped over the ledge. Bird-Liam was a hairsbreadth from Bridget's backpack but could not grasp it. Bridget smiled in relief for a millisecond until she understood that she couldn't reach the other roof's ledge.

Her gray eyes widened in terror and felt the ground was much closer than it really was. She closed her eyes and braced for her impending doom when a she felt a cold weight wrapped around her. Bridget gasped when she saw that she hadn't fell into the ground, she was even on the other roof. She looked down at her mid-section when she felt something around her waist. A pair of blue sleeved covered arms held onto her and Bridget felt cooling air on her face. Jack had grabbed her in the last minute and embraced her and buried his face in her hair.

"Thank MiM you're all right," he breathed, his cold mouthful of air, cooling her blushing face.

Bridget smiled uneasily as dozens of Mini-fairies fluttered in her stomach like before. "Yeah, well you did save me too."

Jack tilted his head so he could see her and he blushed when he realized how close they were. Both of their noses brushed each other and Jack swore he felt electricity coursing through his veins. Loud cawing was heard, getting the both of them out of their little world and let reality sink in.

Bridget was the first to pull away and coughed nervously. _"Come now Bridget. We're in a situation right now…. and he's in l-word with-" _"Come on!" Jack broke Bridget out of her thoughts. "Let's go!" Bridget nodded and followed him.

A roof access led to the only exit for Jack and Bridget with the building having been abandoned and its fire escape route damaged midway to the ground. The door was locked until Jack froze the lock and kicked it open when the ice damaged the rusted handle. Bridget zoomed in with Jack close behind. He closed the door sharply and zapped it lock with ice once more to keep in shut. Jack had a feeling that Twitty-Blonde Bird might catch up very soon.

Bridget almost tripped as she ran down the stairs but was caught by Jack in every moment. She laughed with ease at how crazy the circumstances were becoming. Bridget never thought she'd see the day that she would be chased by a giant bird. Then again she never thought she could see anything at all a week ago.

Jack started to laugh along with Bridget and even started trying to outrun her. It soon became a race for them to see how could get to the last floor. They climbed down several flats until they reached a room that led to the front door. Bridget kicked the door open and grinned wildly when it swung right open. Jack smirked and made a mock bow, becoming a temporary gentleman at the same time. None of them realized the moment Bridget walked out Bird-Liam was already out there. His arms were covered with so many feathers that he could glide in the air.

The possessed young man snatched Bridget and held her with his newly formed clawed hands. Jack held his staff up while Bridget tried to struggle against Liam. His grip on didn't loosen and he drew his dagger out and pressed it against her neck. "One move, Jokul Frosti, and say goodbye to your worshiper."

Jack held deep fury in his eyes but faltered his aim on the bird. He wasn't even surprised that Twitty-Blonde Bird could see him at this point. Magic always made things happen. And that included possessed people seeing Legendary beings like Jack Frost.

"Drop your staff and she won't get hurt," Bird-Liam spoke into Bridget's ear, making her cringe from the faint smell of alcohol that Liam drunk several hours earlier.

For one moment she locked eyes with Jack. His glacier blue eyes were glowering at the cursed being until they widened for a fraction of a second. Bridget started to realize Jack was hesitating, like he **was **going to let go of his staff just to save her.

That plan wasn't going to work for her at all. No way was Jack going to drop his weapon. She read plenty of stories to know where it led. In less of a second Bridget narrowed her eyes and built up as much bottled-up anger she could muster.

The anger of Liam ignoring her requests to help her find the Guardians began to build up.

Liam's cliché attempts of flirting with her made the redhead snarl in resentment.

Sal almost getting flattened irritated Bridget, but worst of all, Liam threatening Jack to give up his Sheppard's staff was the last straw.

The fact Her hands grew warm and red with her familiar fire and placed her hands in Bird-Liam's arms and then his shoulders. He howled in pain and pushed her away, trying to pat the flames off his already ripped up hoodie.

Jack's eyes widened in amazement at what he just witnessed. It was the first time he ever saw Bridget make fire literally come out of her hands. The redhead quickly ran over to where Jack was as he held his staff with much more determination this time around. She smiled at him and he returned the look with his usual smirk.

"Ahh~!" The easiness between the two faded when they witnessed Bird-Liam in great pain. He doubled to the ground with his shoulders and arms pulsating a glowing heat. Bridget widened her eyes before she looked at her hands and examined her palms. Jack was torn whether to look at Bridget or back at the pained person before them. Did she cause that? Surely her fire didn't have magic properties in it.

….Right?

Suddenly Bird-Liam started to cough violently with his hands gripping his neck as if he was choking. The sight was almost too painful to watch. Dark liquid began flowing from his mouth and the sweat pooled all over his body. With the salty precipitation on his skin falling slowly his feathers started descend from his bulk. The moment each feather touched the ground they reduced into black dust.

With each feather gone Bird-Liam looked less like a bird and more like his old self again. After coughing for a few minutes one last feather fell from Liam's head. Once it fell everything that made Liam look like a monster reverted back into a human. His clawed hands were back to normal hands. Every feather wasn't present and his eyes returned into blue.

Liam's breathing slowly returned to normal as his hands were no longer planted on his head to grasp it in pain. When another second passed he fell face forward to the ground.

Bridget was about to move forward when a pair of arms wrapped around her. _"Again with the surprise hug," _she thought with a blushed face. Bridget felt that Liam needed to be looked over, in case he was with serious injuries.

"Jack-" "If I wasn't here," the winter spirit whispered coarsely. His embrace on her didn't loosen up like before. "If I wasn't there and he found you…I'm not sure what might've-" "It's okay," Bridget insisted while she pulled herself away slightly.

Bridget grinned for reassurance toward Jack with hope that he would calm down. "I'm fine see? No broken bones or…" Bridget stopped speaking when she saw that Jack was looking at her strangely. Not strange as in weirdly but with a serious expression. The redhead found it odd how his eyes looked like there was a hexagon-like pattern on the iris. Bridget wasn't sure how to comprehend it until she caught something else in his eyes, something less visible then color and eye design. They held relief and something much stronger than happiness. She didn't know what to call it.

Happiness was clearly visible on Jack's face but Bridget could have sworn she saw another emotion flicker in his eyes. They held softness to it, tender almost. Bridget was starting to understand. And a part of her liked it very much. As for the other part…

"_I still love you." _ Bridget felt a weight on her heart. **It** couldn't work, so many things for **it **to fail was obvious. The confession Jack made in his sleep was proof enough.

"Oi! Liam! Bridget! Where the bloody hell are you guys?" Jessie's voice was heard loud and clear. At once Bridget brushed herself away from Jack, not noticing the slight hurt expression from his features. The mien went away once he and Bridget saw Jessie, Daniel, and Olivia running down the street.

"We're over here!" Bridget called out. She meant herself and Jack but remembered none of the others could see him.

Moments later the three arrived and gasped in shock when they saw Liam unconscious on ground. Jessie and Daniel wasted no time to help their friend up while Olivia walked over to Bridget, unaware that she walked through Jack in the process.

"'You alright?" Olivia asked while placing a hand on Bridget's shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be asking Liam that?" Bridget eyed before nodding toward Liam being pulled up.

Someone started to groan and Bridget sighed in relief when she saw Liam being the one. He was no longer in a comatose state. When he opened his eyes an unexplained expression was on his face the moment he saw Bridget. Jack saw that Liam was only looking at her and not him. The magic that allowed Liam to see Jack wore off.

"Are you okay, Li?" Daniel asked. A sly grin appeared on his face when he glanced at Bridget. "Don't tell me this girl swept you off your feet-"

"She attacked me," Liam spoke in a tone that was darker than he normally used. He glared at Bridget as he stood. The blond gave her the harshest look he could probably make and yelled. "That bitch tried to kill me!"

Bridget backed away, her back almost touching the building's doorframe. Her pupils shrunk in fear. "No, I-I didn't mean-" _"It's just like before." _Bridget thought in sadness. _"All those times at the schoolyard…"_

"Liam," Olivia held a look of disbelief at Bridget and turned toward the hysterical blond. "What are you talking ab-" Liam pushed Jessie and Daniel away, much to their surprise and he leaned angrily near Bridget.

"She kicked the crap outta me and tried to kill me with this-this," Liam struggled as if to find the right words. "Freakish fire coming out of her hands."

"_He remembers," _Jack gasped in horror. He glanced over at Bridget and frowned when he saw her troubled state. Liam tried to free himself from Daniel's and Jessie's grip but they were not was tired like he was.

"Liam you're probably still drunk," Jessie tried to reason but did look questionably at Bridget.

"I wasn't," Liam growled. "And I still'm not. That bitch made fire come out and tried murdering me." Liam glared at his friends. "Why aren't you believing me?"

Daniel, for the first time, spoke reasonably and said, "Let's take you to a hospital. A doctor can patch you up."

With a great reluctance Liam eventually gave in and slumped in defeat. Not before giving Bridget one last dirty look while he was leaving. Bridget started to follow them until Jessie push his hand out, telling her to stay.

"Liam's in…too much of an emotional state right now." Jessie said. "It's best if you don't come along."

Bridget swallowed hard and gave him a firm nod. Jessie returned the nod as he and Daniel left. Olivia was at a lost of words and glanced at Bridget as if looking for guidance. Bridget held a blank, unemotional look while nodding at the direction the three boys went off to. 'Go to them' was Bridget's message.

Olivia said nothing and walked away. She gave Bridget one last look of utter confusion before she shook her head and quickly joined up to her friends.

Jack sighed in irritation and placed a hand in his pocket. "Can you believe that guy?" He held back a mocking laugh. "After what we did to help him out." Baby Tooth got out her hiding place and chirped in agreement and crossed her arms. "Am I right Bri-" Jack paused when he saw Bridget walking away the opposite direction the four teenagers went and headed toward where Wexford met the Slaney River.

"Bridget?" Jack titled his head in confusion before following her.

* * *

There was so much irony happening around Bridget that it was almost criminal. Everything was ironic because she was trying so hard to not let history repeat itself that it happened anyway. Heck, she was even at the same spot near the river where she met Liam for the first time.

Nighttime had already come about and the sky was littered with twinkling lights and a waxing half moon. Bridget almost wanted to laugh at the fact no matter where she went to sulk at the moon was always there. She decided to laugh anyway. It wasn't like the laughing of relief she had with Jack as they ran down the abandoned floors or when she heard a good joke, it was a bitter laugh that held a hint of regret within it.

Suddenly Bridget felt a presence behind her. She turned to see Jack standing a few from her, most likely to give as much space as she wanted. When she nodded to Jack that he could walk over he smiled and placed a hand in his pocket to take something out. In the palm of his hand Jack held three round gumballs that was light green, pink, and blue. "Take you pick." Jack offered. "They all taste the same but are fun to blow."

Bridget looked at the chewing gum and chose the blue one since it was the closest toward her and lately she started to like that color. She put it in her mouth and chewed the gum until she made a small bubble. In a minute Bridget made the bubble grow twice its original size until it finally popped and some of the chewy substance stuck to her face. "So that's what a gum bubble looks like," Bridget muttered.

Jack hummed in agreement. "Does this mean our roles aren't reversed anymore?"

Bridget turned to look at Jack. "Remember back in Santoff Claussen when you said if I became the 'depressed one' and you the 'comfort friend' was a clear sign of the end of the world?"

Bridget tried to smile but couldn't. She knew Jack was trying to cheer her up but it wasn't really working for her. When he noticed how miserable Bridget still looked Jack tried a different approach. "Are you okay?"

Bridget sighed and shook her head. "How am I supposed to be okay? After what I did back there?"

"It wasn't your fault. You were just trying to defend yourself."

Bridget sighed exasperated. "Yeah with my fire." She glared at the water and turned toward Jack. "It's moments like that I wish I was invisible like you and the Guardians are."

Jack held a look of disbelief and shook his head. "Trust me you don't want that."

"How can you be so sure?" Bridget asked with a hint of cynicism. "You should be lucky only kids see you, adults and teenagers would never understand you or your powers!"

When she realized what she said Bridget quickly apologized. "Sorry," she pulled at her bracelet and turned away. "I didn't mean to snap like that."

Jack sighed while pulling his hand through his fingers. "You're right though." He glanced at the ground bitterly. "I have no idea what could happen if adults and teenagers could see me. The ones in Santoff Claussen liked me enough for being nice to their kids, but could grown-ups outside of that village trust me?"

Bridget shrugged, unsure how to answer that question. "I'll I know is that whenever I make something it always ends up being burnt up. Every foster family I lived with, friends and classmates, they all felt scared when they saw me."

"You got to make friends here all the same," Jack replied.

Bridget smiled ruefully. "Until Liam yelled at me. I'd be surprised if they ever wanted to talk to me ever again. Besides they never really felt like friends to me."

Jack looked at her with interest. "Really? The way I saw it-" "All I could ever think about was you and the others." Bridget smiled sincerely. "You guys have been probably been the closest to actual friends. It's kinda sad when you about that."

"Oh yeah," Jack dragged sarcastically. "'Cause it's really bad when you're friends with Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, Jack Frost, and the Easter Kangaroo."

Bridget giggled. "That's not what I meant."

"Well what did you mean?" Jack asked with a lopsided grin. The smile vanished when Bridget grimaced. "What **do** you mean?"

It was time Bridget decided to ask the million-dollar question; "What's going to happen after this whole quest is over? Will I just go back to Burgess and pretend things go back the way they do or…"

"You don't want to go back to Burgess?" Bridget could almost hear desperation in Jack's voice.

"I do want to return to Burgess," Bridget promised. "But I don't think I can stay there. I mean yeah, I'm sure the town is lovely and everyone there has been nice to me and all but after seeing so many different places all over the world I'm not sure if I just want to stay in one place for the rest of life." She started smiling again as she thought of all of the amazing things she had seen over the last seven or so days. "The only thing I ever focused on for the last few years was to go to school, do my work, and get in a good college someday…maybe find a family.

"But in the first time in my life I've actually had genuine fun. Getting into snowball fights, ridding a reindeer, and getting to see all of these wonderful things. Getting to see anything in general has been wonderful." Bridget smiled with tears failing to fall. She wiped them away before continuing, "For the first time in my life I've actually felt like a real kid."

Jack smiled in admiration. "Glad you feel that way." He really did. "But I don't see why being friends with the Guardians and me is so bad."

"Because…" Bridget sighed. "I don't know maybe because I'll grow up and you'll all still be the same."

Jack frowned, understanding where she was going with this and rubbed his face in thought. An idea soon came into his head. "How long do you think you'll live?" Jack's eyes widened when he realized how bad the question sounded. "Wait, don't take that the wrong way. I meant as how long does a **person** live?"

Bridget shrugged. "I guess…80 years or something like that."

Jack nodded. "So you're 17 right now, so that means you have 63 years of being with us. Or maybe a few years more if you live longer."

The redhead tried to smile. Really she did but for some reason the whole age thing Jack brought up sounded very bleak and depressing. She knew he was trying but still.

"We don't have to worry about that stuff now though. You just gotta...Tóg go bog é." Jack insisted earning a small smile from her before taking Bridget's hand to get her full attention. "Because you're still technically a kid and believe in us-the Guardians I mean. You have plenty of time to worry about growing up."

Bridget still felt a little worried. "I won't be a kid forever, Jack. No matter how many times I wish or imagine it were different. I'll be turning 18 soon."

"You will?" That was news to Jack.

"On the 21st of December." Bridget admitted while wincing from Jack's shocked expression. "That's the day I was found."

"The 21st," Jack breathed. "That is the same day…"

"When we have to stop the Morrígan." Bridget finished. "It's kind of the reason I didn't want to mention it to you guys."

Jack nodded in understanding. "Yeah I get it."

Bridget smiled halfheartedly as an awkward silence grew between her and Jack. Baby Tooth sighed as she took in the scene. She was getting tired of how obvious the two teenagers were being. They clearly cared for each other and felt something very strong. Too bad their tongue-tied attitudes toward one another didn't help progress to any potential relationship.

"…" Bridget looked at her hand and absentmindedly stared at it. "I guess no matter what happens, I'm always going to burn things up."

Jack felt his heart skip a beat. "It doesn't have to be like that." His hand was still holding hers and he gave it a gentle squeeze. "You could…learn how to control 'em better."

"How," Bridget asked with a 'yeah right' look. "There aren't any people with powers over fire like me, Jack."

Jack smiled when an idea formed into his head. "Then I can teach you."

Bridget gaped at him in complete shock. "Wha..?"

"Just hear me out," Jack quickly said, removing his hand from her and putting his hands up. "While we're traveling around Ireland, I can teach you how to control your powers and overcome them so they don't control you."

Bridget was tempted but remembered a very obvious factor. "You don't have powers over fire though….unless you do?"

Jack shook his head with a smile. "No, but I **do **know how to regulate my freezing abilities and know where my limits are. I can teach you that so you're able to use your fire much more freely and less restraint."

"Why would I want that?"

Jack frowned in embarrassment before confessing, "I don't think the training you gave yourself didn't really improve on your control all that much."

Bridget felt offended for a moment before realizing that Jack was right. "Yeah, you do have a point. Bottling-up my emotions didn't do much for me."

Jack smiled in relief to that she wasn't angry. "I can help with you letting them out in a more…natural way."

"Better than a psychiatrist could do?" Bridget offered a toothy grin.

Jack smiled and nodded. "Way better than they could." He offered his hand to shake and asked lightheartedly, "So…does that sound good and could work for you?"

Bridget took a deep breath and reconsidered. While Jack would seem like an unlikely coach or mentor she had to admit that he was good at making snow and ice. Scratch that, he was amazing at it. He made it into an art form! It would even be considered an honor to learn something from **the **Spirit of Winter. Still, it sounded like a leap of faith with the whole translating ice magic to freaky firepowers. But… if it meant she could finally get her powers in check Bridget would need all the help she could get. Beggars can't be choosers after all.

Bridget smiled and clasped Jack's hand enthusiastically. "You got yourself a deal, Frosty."

Jack grinned. "I'll be looking forward to the lessons."

The moment ended when a voice cried out, "I FOUND LEETLE GIRL!...and Jack too!"

Bridget and Jack turned around fast and soon held very broad grins. North and the other Guardians were walking down the boardwalk until North had shouted. They were soon running toward the Guardian of Fun and human, albeit Tooth did tumble on with every other step of hers.

"North!" Bridget called back with a wave from her hand. Without a second passing Bridget sprinted to where the others were and quickly grabbed onto North and embraced him in a big hug. Her arms could barely pass over the former Cossack's belly but Bridget didn't care.

"Leetle Girl," North returned the hug with a chuckle. "This is unexpected. Never thought I'd see you giving **me **a hug."

"I was so worried," Bridget spoke with her words slightly muffled with her face still buried in North's shirt. She looked up with teary eyes. "When I saw the news earlier, I was so worried I thought…."

"It's okay," Tooth came over and rubbed Bridget's back in a comforting way. "We're all safe. No broken bones or anything," she smiled while using the same phrase Bridget would say if she didn't get injured.

"That's good to hear." Jack spoke as he walked up to them. Nightlight waved at the winter spirit and he returned the gesture.

"I'm jus' glad you're both safe," Bunny spoke with strong relief in his voice. Bridget smiled after getting out the hug. She almost went down to cuddle Bunny but decided against it. Seeing her reluctance Bunny rolled his eyes. "If you wanna give me a hug I'm perfectly-" Immediately Bunny was grabbed by his little waist and squeezed into a hug.

"Fine," Bunny gasped in surprise. Bridget nuzzled his head and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, it's just I was really worried for you." She turned to everyone. "All of you."

"The feeling vas mutual, Leetle Girl," North said. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Ve are happy you are safe."

Jack nodded in agreement as they stood near one another in a close group. Bridget smiled and accepted the hug Tooth and Sandy grasped her in.

"_It's good to be back with the people you're really friends with," _Bridget and Jack thought in unison.

"So vas your day exciting as ours?" North smiled earnestly.

Bridget and Jack exchanged uneasy looks. This was going to be a long~ night.

* * *

**Q-A: **Sorry how late this one came out guys. At least it came out on the day I promised. ^.^ I blame myself for my pure laziness. Hopefully this had the action to sustain you all for a while. XD And who could forget my teasing of some Jack and Bridget romancing. Thank you all for giving me over 70 reviews! I really appreciate it.

By the way if you can get the reason why the chapter title is call what it is I'll give ya a shout-out in the next chapter!

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	20. All that Glitters

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters (except O.C.s ) are mine. _Make New Friends_ song comes from Girl Scouts. :D I was a Brownie!

* * *

_~All that Glitters…~_

"How dare you make a fool out of me and go carry out an assassination attempt on the False Gods' Worshiper!" To say the Morrígan was flabbergasted would be an understatement.

She was furious.

The Phantom Queen herself immediately confronted the crow that had returned from Wexford. After he had placed a Dark Feather on one of the Worshiper's human companions.

"B-but my Mistress," the red-eyed crow stuttered. "I thought it would please you-" "NOT WITHOUT MY CONSENT!" The Morrígan clamored all across the Earth mound. She seethed at the crow before returning to the broken throne. The goddess winced when her hand came in contact with the stone but disregarded the pain. "The orders have been changed."

The crow asked carefully, "They have?"

"Yes," the Morrígan answered, her voice sounding small from the yelling. "Despite my strength returning back to me, it is still a slow process." She glared at the crow. "For some reason none of the aerial searches have returned with the treasures."

"It's very difficult for us to find them, Mistress," the crow explained feebly. "They have been lost for many years."

"Do you think I am not aware of that little issue? It is exactly the reason I'm letting the False Gods live longer." The Morrígan smirked, "They will find the treasures for me and bring them right here. After all, they believe with the four treasures brought together they can actually bring out the Fire Arrow." She cackled in darken glee.

* * *

"Out of all the most stupid things I have heard this has got to be the top one." Bridget and Jack winced as Bunny continued yelling at them. Who ever thought that getting scolded by a tiny rabbit would be so bad. "You completely forget the point of finding Bridget was to bring her back!" Seagulls sleeping nearby called out and flew away in alarm.

The Guardians and Bridget were still at the boardwalk. It was late in the evening but at the moment no one was tired. All of the adults were too busy with being very upset by the actions of Jack and Bridget. Both of them were sitting on the sidewalk while the others stood on the street. It was so late at night that none of them worried about incoming traffic.

Jack smiled uneasily and shrugged. "I did find her, but not right away." Half of that was true. He only found Bridget around early noon.

"What about coming back to the checking point to tell us where she is or even **bringing** her back?"

Jack couldn't answer that one.

"Vhat is vorse that you both vere attacked by Morrígan and did not find us to help fight," North paced back and forth in a very displeased manner. None of the Guardians were pleased with how Jack handled the situation with the magic possessed Liam after he told them the story.

"Not only did you put Bridget in danger but Baby Tooth as well," Tooth reprimanded while holding the little fairy. When Tooth had heard the whole story she was appalled to hear that Jack hadn't thought once to call out for help.

While Sandy couldn't make any dreamsand images, his unhappy expression clearly told how disappointed he was with the winter spirit and human. The very idea of them fighting a monster all by themselves was completely idiotic.

"We're really sorry about what happened." Bridget insisted. "But in the end no one got hurt, remember? And the guy that got possessed turned back to normal."

A sound of wood against metal was soon heard. Jack and Bridget turned their heads to see Nightlight sitting on the railing with his staff gently tapping the metal bars. After he got their attention he started to write something in his notepad. He handed it to Bridget for her and Jack to read.

How exactly did you stop the boy's bewitched control?

Bridget inwardly winced from the memory of fire on her hands, Liam yelling at her, and the people who she thought were nice to her ended up leaving her. The whole experience made her stomach churn. Jack saw the faint discomfort in her eyes and struggled to figure out a solution. When he glanced at his crooked staff he got an idea.

"Well what happened was," Jack paused, trying to think up more things to say, "was that I frosted the guy with my staff. It must've freeze the magic or something and turned him to normal."

Bridget almost had her eyes pop out. Did he just say what she thought he said?

"It that so," North arched an eyebrow before stroking his beard.

"Uh," Bridget glanced at her bracelet and touched it momentarily. She always felt safe and calmer when she held onto the trinket. "Yeah basically that's what happened. It was pretty…awkward for the guy afterward though." She smiled contritely.

"_Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it," _Jack silently chanted while keeping a straight face. He didn't want to reveal Bridget's powers just yet. He promised her he wouldn't tell and that he finally had the courage to ask her about teaching her how to control her powers. That idea was itching like a thorn inside his mind for the past few days. It couldn't go all to waste now.

"…. As long as the boy isn't hurt it's alright with me." Tooth spoke out after a rare minute of silence.

Jack almost raised his eyebrows. "It is." He spoke like it was a statement.

Tooth nodded. "Mmm-hmm. I mean I'm still very displeased with you for not telling where Bridget was sooner but," she quickly went over to give Bridget a small shoulder squeeze. "Seeing that Wisdom Tooth, you and Baby Tooth are fine and safe is what really matters."

North slowly nodded in agreement, as is he came to that resolution not long after. "Vhile I do like that you fought vithout backup, I am please of knowing you took out opponent all the same." He chuckled heartily. "Shows how much of a Guardian you really are. Being a Guardian to Bridget proves it."

Bridget and Jack exchanged smiles from hearing that.

Bunny wrinkled his nose in slight irritation. He gave Jack a hard look and another toward Bridget. He was still mad that they might've gotten killed from the Morrígan's magic. But Jack must have shown a lot of bravery when the moment to fight called for it and was able to get out of it in one piece. There weren't any scratches on any of them, so Bunny didn't really have much to complain. He only wanted to blame someone for this. Still he knew it wasn't right to be too harsh on the kids. They must've been frighten by the bird-boy and with the moments Bridget almost fell made Bunny nearly jump out of his seat. The last thing he wanted was another child to be lost. He remember how devastated he was when North gave him the news of when they lost Nightlight and Kat-

"I'm glad your safe too," Bunny cleared his thoughts away. "I jus' wish you could've thought things through a little bit more is all."

Jack scratched the back of his head and frowned. "Yeah we could've just tired running to where there were a lot of people and lose him there."

"But then the people would be in trouble if they got in his way," Bridget pointed out. "It was better if we stayed far from anyone else so they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire, if you get my drift."

"I see your point. Still while he was running I could've just frosted his feet to the ground." Bridget slapped her forehead in annoyance.

"That could've worked but when you froze the doors that didn't help much either."

"Well what about-" "Vhat happened in past happen in past." North cleared his throat. As much as he liked seeing the two getting animated in a conversation, the one they were talking about was a bit too…graphic. "Ve need to focus on vhat is happening now."

"And right now we need to get to Dublin." Bunny added in with a determined face. It crestfallen slightly when he asked, "Any got any idea how to get there. Walking would be out of the question with it being so far and all."

"Not unless we drive." Bridget suggested.

"Uhh, yeah Bridget hate to break it to you but none of us **can** drive," Jack deadpanned. "We might be older than the first _Model-T, _but none us drove one."

"I haven't been outside of my palace since the 1500s," Tooth said.

"I only know how to pilot sleigh." North sighed in disgrace.

Nightlight and Sandy held very similar looks. Nightlight may have not known what a Model-T was but he had a feeling Jack meant a car.

Bridget smirked in return. "Who said anything about **driving** a car?"

* * *

"Are you really sure about this?" Tooth asked while she tumbled again but Bridget caught her in the last second. After Bridget told the Guardians about the plan she came up with most of them held uneasy looks. Bunny said that a lot of things might not go the way she'd plan and other catastrophes could occur. Bridget then added it was the only option they had if they were going to meet the Leprechaun before he left for warmer climates. They all begrudgingly agreed after that point.

"Sure, if you guys are all set with the plan?"

"I meant about leaving Wexford." Bridget had a slight pause in her step, if she was still blind she might've tripped ungracefully and fell onto the concrete.

"I'm fine about it," Bridget muttered, putting one hand in her pocket while the other still helped Tooth up.

"Are you sure?" Tooth inquired. She wished to know if Bridget really was fine about it. The two of them were lagging behind so no one else could hear them if it was personal for Bridget to say aloud.

Bridget attempted to shrug. "It's a nice town but not really my style." Her mind trailed back to Santoff Claussen with the kind people and dying tree. She shook her head; the redhead forced her thoughts back to Burgess. "I should be where I belong. And right now it's with you guys," she fibbed, her real thoughts still divided on the two towns she had spent time in.

"Right now I'm focused on helping you guys stop the Morrígan and save the kids." Her gray eyes narrowed. "After what happened to me and Jack tonight is enough proof of how dangerous she is."

Tooth nodded grimly. "And the people you befriended here?"

"I'm not sure if I could call it befriending," Bridget declared. "All I thought about while I was with them was if you all were okay or not."

"The same with me and the other Guardians."

While she heard several time already how worried the Guardians fussed over her, it still made Bridget smile bashfully. "Yes, well I missed you all, a lot. If I'm going to be honest I feel more comfortable with all of you than with the teenagers I was with."

"Really," Tooth's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought it would make more sense for you desiring to spend more time with people your…" Tooth's eyes glanced to the ground. "Own age."

Bridget wanted to roll her eyes but fought the urge. "I never spent much time with other teenagers for a lot of reasons. The biggest one was that I could never find others to relate with." She then thought, _"The freaky fire powers were a turn off from making any friends, too." _

Bridget brushed those dark thoughts away. "I just feel more comfortable with you all. Sure you're not perfect, far from it. But I'm not perfect either. Friends usually aren't perfect together anyway. They just need to be there for one another and that's what you've been for me. I'm not sure it that's how you feel about me but still-"

Tooth tumbled once more with Bridget catching her arm in the last second once again. "That's like the twentieth time you're fell."

Tooth smiled weakly, "I'm just not use to this walking-thing is all. I haven't done anything like this since-"

"440 years?" Bridget grinned before laughing. "Jack told me."

"No," Tooth shook her head. "Since I was a little girl actually." She held a soft frown.

"_Tooth as a little girl? Would she have looked like Baby Tooth or-" _Bridget's thoughts went away when Tooth almost slipped out of the redhead's hold. "Whoa, I think we need to figure out something for you. I think you're falling because-no offense-you can't seem to hold your weight up with your legs."

"I know." Tooth sighed sadly. The Mini-fairies in her bag chirped heartrendingly. The Fairy Queen soon eyed Bridget curiously when she saw the girl put her backpack down and unzip it.

"What are you doing?"

"Just. Wait. A. Second-Ah-ha!" Bridget grinned after having her hands in the pack for a minute. She had pulled out her long cane. "I was hoping this was still in here." She smiled fondly at the cane before offering it to Tooth. "I think you need this more than I do."

Tooth held a look of disbelief. "But, North gave this-"

"Back when I was blind I needed this to walk around." Bridget smiled while adjusting her glasses. "But I don't need this anymore. I can walk on my own now."

Tooth still looked hesitant while looking at the cane worriedly. "Go on." Bridget smiled, holding the long cane a little closer toward the fairy. When Tooth heard a small noise she looked at her fairies and they chirped, encouraging her to take it.

A moment later Tooth graciously accepted the cane. Bridget smiled brightly-Mini-fairies squealed-when Tooth tested out the cane and took a few steps. Not once did Tooth trip or slip, she was walking on her own now. Bridget clapped positively, excited that Tooth could do it. Tooth smiled happily and cheered. "Oh," she walked over and gave Bridget a hug. "Thank you, Wisdom Tooth. This is so kind of you."

Bridget smiled and returned the hug. "You're welcome."

The others stood watching the scene with newfound warmth. The air seemed to feel a lot less cold. North smiled widely. He loved to see someone giving a gift around this time of year. Bunny grinned, happy that Tooth didn't have a handicap anymore-and that Bridget did a nice thing too. Yeah, that's it. Jack smiled softly, taking the whole picture in with admiration. He left a tug on his pants and looked to Sandy make a kissy-face before beaming rather smugly.

"Do I look any different walking with it?" Tooth asked as she and Bridget resumed walking.

Bridget pondered while tapping her chin. "I think you look rather _Victorian _with that cane."

Tooth giggled. "Because of my feathery appearance and…sophisticated presence?"

"I think you're starting to get a little prideful, Your Majesty." Bridget did a mock curtsy that led to both of them to laugh loudly.

"Oi!" Both Guardian and human turned when they heard someone yell. With the choice of phrasing Bridget almost thought it was Bunny until she realized that the person calling out had a higher pitched voice and sounded much younger. Bridget squinted her eyes to slowly start seeing a figure running twenty yards away, the light from the moon gave her enough sight to see who it was.

"Tooth," Bridget toward the fairy. "Go with the others."

"Are you sure?" Tooth spoke seriously but with a small hint of worry.

The redhead nodded. "It's better if I talk to her alone."

"Her?"

"Just go," Bridget repeated with less effort this time. Tooth gave her a calculating look for a moment before she went to be with the others.

The male Guardians asked Tooth what was wrong once she arrived. She shushed them and motioned to simply wait and see.

The figure continued running but started slowing down. Bridget assumed that she must've seen that Bridget was no longer moving.

"Olivia?" Bridget called out. She didn't answer, but only continued walking, her pace picking up a bit. Olivia slowly stopped walking once she was six feet away from Bridget.

Olivia was breathing heavily and gasped loudly. Bridget eyed the dark-haired girl with disbelief and inched closer to look at her carefully. "Why are you-" she was silenced when Olivia raised a finger right at Bridget, signifying her to not talk while she was still panting.

A few moments passed until Olivia uttered, "Damn. My mates told me it would be crazy to look for you." She took in some much needed air once more. "This is not what I thought they would mean."

Bridget decided to ask her question again. "Why are you here?"

Olivia removed her hands on her hips and held up the items that she clutched. Three white shopping bags with various items inside. Bridget widened her eyes even more. "You brought those back for me?"

"Of course," Olivia rolled her eyes. "Liam did buy all these things for you. It'd be a waste just to leave them."

"_Oh, so that's why." _Bridget frowned slightly. "I understand."

Olivia held a look of concern before saying. "Wait, that's not the only reason I'm here." Bridget gave Olivia her undivided attention. "I-" the black-haired hesitated "I want to apologize for how I reacted earlier."

Bridget dropped her jaw and pointed to herself. "You want to apologize to **me**?"

"Yeah, well… I'm mostly talking on Liam's behalf," Olivia pulled on her arm slightly. "Though he would not want to say it but I do. Whatever happened in the alley wasn't right but I can't help but think it wasn't your fault."

Bridget shrugged. "Yeah, I really didn't mean to hurt him. Is Liam okay?"

"Besides the shoulders the only other thing hurting Liam is his bruised ego. Personally I think what happened between you two was just Liam's mind going out. The doctor did say he was still bladdered, but as subtle as a doc can say, am I right?"

Bridget smiled halfheartedly. "Yeah I guess that's why he was acting so weird earlier."

"Exactly, it wasn't a good enough reason for the way he treated you. I just want to let you know that I don't feel the same way he does about you. I really did have a lot of fun today."

Hearing those words made Bridget's heart swell. She was touched that an actual person said that to her. "I…had a lot of fun too. It's been a while since I've spent time with people like you and your friends."

"Speaking of people, have you found your mates yet?"

Bridget smiled a knowing grin while her eyes quickly glanced at where the Guardians stood four yards behind her. "Yeah I did."

"Must be some lucky friends to have someone like you worrying over them." Olivia claimed not noticing Bridget smiling sheepishly moments later. "I mean you were worrying for their safety them like a Ma sheep worrying over her lamb."

"Not like that," Bridget tried to deny modestly but with little results. She coughed and asked, "So I can guess we're on good terms again?"

"Duh, of course." Olivia smiled. "Though to be honest the other reason I decided to go after you was to see your mates. Since you raved on about them I figured I might as well get to meet them."

Olivia's smiled lessened when she saw Bridget cast a frown. "What? I can't meet them or-"

"It's not that you can't, it's just," Bridget paused. "You can't."

"Why not?" Olivia placed her hands on her hips again.

"You just-it's complicated." Bridget tried to explain. She groaned while rubbing her face. The Guardians watched with sympathetic looks, she was trying so hard for them. "I really would like for you to meet them but…"

"I think I get it," Olivia said. Bridget tried to disagree with that statement but Olivia raised her hand. "They're too busy with that play to see lil' old me." She smiled cheekily.

Bridget nodded, what was said was partially true. "They-we need to get going right away to finish it up."

"Maybe if it's in Ireland I can see it on stage?" Olivia suggested with a slight grin.

Bridget breathed out an amused sigh. "Who knows? But I think the only way you can see it if you stay on the Nice List."

Olivia arched an eyebrow. "What, you believe in Father Christmas now?"

Bridget smiled, she was used to comments like that by this point. "Always have, always will."

"They must good friends if they're alright with you believing in things like that."

The redhead's smiled widened more. "They are." Olivia seemed to like that response and nodded almost approvingly. She handed the shopping bags to Bridget who noticed something black on the other girl's arm.

"What's that? I didn't see it before until your sleeve pulled up slightly," Bridget pointed out.

"Hmm?" Olivia turned her head to where Bridget was pointing. "Oh this? Ha, it's a tattoo I got a ages ago." She pulled up the sleeve to reveal an inked picture of Bríde's cross. The redhead's eyes widened as she gazed on the ink.

Olivia chuckled. "Nice huh? Supposed to protect ya from evil spirits and what not." She smirked before saying, "But I think you'd already knew that from the stitched crosses on your coat." She poked the embroidered Bríde's crosses on the maroon jacket.

"Uh yeah," Bridget said thumbing her finger over the needled patterns.

"Guess that makes us triplets in a weird way." Olivia laughed.

"Wait," Bridget called out. "Don't you mean **twins**? Triplets are three people, not two."

Olivia blinked with her mouth ajar for a moment until it turned into an amused smirk. "Right sorry. I always get those confused. Must be my age."

"But you're the same age as me," Bridget replied. A thought crossed her mind and she delicately added, "Right?"

"If ya believe it." Olivia winked her blue eyes shimmering. Bridget amplified her eyes to a larger size in surprise. She could've sworn Olivia's eyes were-A moment later Olivia crinkled her eyes and they appeared green again. She put her hands in her pockets and whistled a merry tune before walking down the road.

Bridget blinked once as she reordered her thoughts. She shook her head and called out, "I hope you do well with whatever!"

Olivia didn't turn but waved, "Same with you! Good luck with that…problem of yours." She laughed once more as her form faded further into the dark.

Bridget flushed slightly when she recalled all of the conversations about Jack. She felt movement in her pocket and pulled out Sal. "Will my life ever be normal again? I think the moon is trolling me by this point."

"I don't think you're life will ever be normal," Jack stood beside her suddenly. "If you keep talking to slugs."

Bridget gave him a look. "Slugs and Salamanders aren't even related to each other, Jack."

"Whatever," the winter spirit spoke while he hit the metal railing with his staff, frosting more patterns on the iron.

"It was nice of Bridget defending you like that," Tooth said cheerfully to North.

The ex-Cossack nodded while glancing toward Tooth. "Yes, Leetle Girl is very loyal to us."

Bridget walked while everyone gave her a funny look. She eyed them carefully and arched an eyebrow. "What?"

Tooth smiled sweetly and observed, "For someone who claims to not be all that great with making friends your age you sure seemed to have found one with that girl."

Bridget frowned in embarrassment and crossed her arms. "She's different from other people I guess." She walked a faster pace than normal while hearing three voices chant a little song.

"_Make new friends,  
but keep the old.  
One is silver,  
the other is gold."_

Bridget's face turned a deeper red before scowling at the Guardians of Wonder, Hope, and Fun respectively. "Oh hush up!"

* * *

Near the outskirts of Wexford, farmers were settling some of their livestock into trailers. While it was still dark outside it was considered to be no longer nighttime since it was passed three in the morning. The perfect time for farmers preparing to leave Wexford on a road called _R741. _

One farmer in particular had been putting two dozen sheep and several lambs into a trailer. He was herding the last few in when one ewe slipped between his legs and ran down the ramp they were on. The farmer cursed under his breath and called out for some help from the other farmers to get that straggler back.

Behind a dale Bridget rested on top of it while North and Sandy leaned to the ground near her. Both of the men held cautious looks.

"Could you valk up plan again," North whispered to Bridget as she looked at an atlas. It was an enchanted map from Mr. Qwerty when he gave her the library. The parchment had the ability to shift shape to any location in the world that anyone could look at and wish to see. Right now Bridget was looking at possible routes to take from Wexford to Dublin.

"We're gonna hitch a ride from one of these farmers 'cause they're all going to Dublin." Bridget answered without looking away from the atlas.

"And why exactly?" Stood behind them was Tooth with a doubtful look. She was aware of what Bridget had said earlier but wanted to know again just in case the girl left something out.

This time Bridget did raise her head and glanced at Tooth's way. "The girl I told you guys about, Olivia, mentioned to me that Dublin has a Christmas parade on the 5th of December. She said that people from all over come to participate in it." Bridget raised her arms during the phrase 'all over' for emphasize.

"Farmers like those people in front of us are bring some of their best animals to march in the parade. It's the 4th right now so all of these farmers are leaving right now so they can prepare." Bridget pointed toward the one trailer with the loose female sheep still running around. "That trailer is big enough for ten cows to stand in comfortably, it'll be perfect for us to ride while the truck takes us to Dublin."

"Vhat about Petrov?" North asked, crestfallen. The four turned around behind them to see the reindeer playing around with Jack and Nightlight. The caribou was mostly playing a forced game of chase with Bunny. It was a forced game for Bunny's part since he didn't like Petrov's wide-eyed look. Something about Bunny's tail looking like a piece of grass or something.

"Jack can distract the farmer for a minute. Sandy and Nightlight will go in where the door latch is for the trailer and knockout the sheep with dreamsand. With the animals asleep Nightlight can use his dagger to unlock the gate so we can put Petrov in. Then once we get him settled and ourselves in there, the farmer will go in his truck and be none of the wiser." Bridget smiled like it was the most reasonable plan ever.

Too bad most of the others had mixed feelings of the plan.

Jack didn't seem to mind since he liked the idea of doing a trick on someone and not get yelled at for it later. Nightlight showed no objections either; he simply thought that getting sooner to Dublin was the most important priority right now. Walking would take too much time and ridding in a car or train was unworkable. Putting a reindeer in any of those would attract too much attention.

"Does that sound like a good plan, Petrov?" Bridget offered. The reindeer came bounding toward the girl. She got up and rolled the map scroll away and adjusted her glasses. Bridget walked over to Petrov after putting the paper in her backpack. The reindeer arrived at the redhead and blew at her face playfully. "Aw, you're such a dear aren't you? Yes, yes, you are. Who's a big boy? You are!" She ended up scratching under Petrov's chin that enjoyed the gesture very much.

"I'm starting to worry for that girl," Bunny said with a small hint of sarcasm. " The poor Shelia's starting to think that giant cow's a dog."

Jack smirked at Bunny's direction. "Says the pooka that ran away from the 'giant cow' like he was a dog."

"Don't get me started, Jack." Bunny warned playfully.

Jack chuckled at the threat and his eyes trailed back to Bridget.

"It is odd how easy it vas to find Petrov." North mentioned to Sandy.

"Well calling out, 'Free apples' can be pretty useful." Tooth said while glancing at Bridget.

Petrov snorted at the mentioning of apples and gave Bridget a sour look. "Hey don't give me that," Bridget said. "I'm sorry I didn't have the fruit with me, but it was the only way to get you to come out of the pasture or wherever you really where."

Petrov rolled his eyes before he tried pulling Bridget's braid. "Hey, no eating hair now." Bridget informed with a raised finger near the reindeer's eyes.

North chuckled as stared at the human with a calculating look. Jack noticed and asked with an arched eyebrow, "What're you thinking about?"

The former Cossack chuckled. "All in time, Jack. All in time."

"Okay," Bridget clapped her hands to get everybody's attention. "Let's get this plan started right away."

"The plan **will **work, won't it?" Tooth asked nervously. Her feathers ruffled before adding, "It really does sound like it could work, but only in theory, right?"

"All theories need to be tried out in one point or another." Bridget replied with a shrug. "But that's what makes it fun."

Jack leaned on his staff while lazily crossing his arms. "I'm all for the 'fun' part of the plan."

"And that's all we really need." Bridget put her arm out and asked, "So, as cliché as this next question is, who's with me?"

Almost at once Jack placed his hand over Bridget's (her face getting a healthy dose of blush). North soon joined in along with Sandy and Nightlight. Tooth glanced at Bunny. He nodded in confirmation. She picked up the pooka so he could reach the other hands and placed his paw in. Tooth adhered afterwards. Bridget smiled her hands secretly laced with Jack's.

"_Things were going to go just fine." _Bridget smiled to herself.

* * *

With all things considered, Bridget was happy the plan went the way it did. Like all master plans this one didn't go as planned but that didn't bother her in the slightest. The first part was the trickiest with having to wait for the other farmers to leave before the whole plan could be set in motion. Jack skimmed down the hill to where the farmer was and grabbed his hat and made it look like it was flying. With there no wind to control Jack had to improvise.

The next phase of the plan happened in steps with Sandy and Nightlight going behind the trailer where the doors' hatch was. The Guardian of Dreams threw dreamsand over the small animals and in an instant; they were out like a light. Speaking of lights, Nightlight came over to unlock the door when the farmer finally caught up with Jack and forcibly grabbed the hat out of invisible hands.

Bridget bit her lower lip as her heart pounded. That wasn't supposed to happen. Not good at all. She wanted to curse loudly. This wasn't going according to plan. Oh, god what could they do now? All of the other farmers were gone and there was no one else for miles-kilometers-whatever! Bridget didn't care about that.

"_Good going Bridget, now the plan's failed." _Bridget frowned miserably. _"The plan might not have worked out anyways." _Bad scenarios soon brainstormed in her head. The truck would probably not go to Dublin after all. Olivia might've gotten her dates wrong and the parade might happen on another day or not at all. So many ill thoughts swarmed inside her head that Bridget didn't see Bunnymund go off from her side and did something very unexpected.

The pooka picked up some rocks from the road and started throwing them at the farmer's legs.

"What the-Oi! Who's doin' that, ya damn pranksters!" The farmer yelled, no longer anywhere near the truck. Bridget was no long panicking when Tooth stumbled over and directed the redhead to what Bunny was doing. He fixed their gazes momentarily before motioning the others to go ahead.

Bridget smiled in relief before nodding toward a former immobilized Nightlight. He placed the small weapon's tip inside the lock twiddling around until a small click was heard. Sandy smiled in congratulations after the opened the door as silently as possible.

North held onto Petrov's harness and pulled him gently toward the trailer. Petrov was a little reluctant to go in with other animals until North gave him a sharp look. The reindeer grumbled in a deer-like manner before trotting in. North rolled his eyes. Something Petrov acted more human than he should be.

Finding a spot for the reindeer to sit inside the trailer was difficult at first with many sheep resting. By means of help from Nightlight, Jack and Sandy they carried a few sheep to different corners and sides of the trailer for Petrov to be placed in the middle. Bridget and Tooth slowly joined them. Bridget helped the Guardian of Memories down before she poked her head out and waved toward Bunny. He was still distracting the farmer until he saw Bridget's signal. After dropping the last few pebbles he owned Bunny hopped over toward Bridget for her to catch him in her arms and hide inside, just before the farmer turned around to not hear the door closed.

The inside of the trailer was wide and spacious like Bridget had said, she didn't accommodate for the smell though. It wasn't manure bad or wet dog bad but it held a humid air, which was odd seeing how every breath Bridget took felt like she was inhaling sawdust.

Speaking of trying to keep her breathing normal.

Bridget kept her breathing steady while she sat in the furthest corner in the trailer where the truck easily hid her from view. The last thing she wanted was for the farmer to come down. North stroked Petrov's face to keep him quiet while the sound of the farmer fumbling with his truck keys could be heard. What felt like an eternity later the sound of a rumbling engine could was sounded. Bridget and the Guardians sighed in relief. Bridget took out the scroll again and look at the map.

The yellowed paper showed a detailed image of Ireland's east road system with the names R741, _M11 _and _N11. _The very same roads that will take them straight to Dublin. The icon for R741 slowly faded away as the dot representing the truck moved at a snail's pace on the map. "It won't be long now." Bridget said after giving the map to North. "It'll take maybe a couple of hours or so before we start seeing the Dublin's city limits. Which shouldn't be hard with the sun rising four hours from now."

North nodded. "Good, ve'll be there in not too long of time then."

"Jus' as long we find the Leprechaun that's all that matters." Bunny said after nibbling on some hay.

"What exactly can the Leprechaun help us with again?" Jack asked while resting his cane over his shoulders.

"By telling us of vhat he knows of the Tuatha Dé Danann and their four treasures. Surely he must know since he is kin that is most close." North surveyed the map while answering.

Tooth nodded before counting her fingers while saying, "So to recap, we are looking for four treasures. One of them is a spear, a sword, a rock and a cauldron."

"It'll be up the gum tree looking for them all." Bunny held with his usual rationality. "I heard the rock is somewhere in a place called the Hill of Tara. It's further up north if I remember correctly."

"Lots of darting around Ireland may happen." North acknowledged.

"Great," Bridget replied with heavy sarcasm. Jack smirked and nudged her shoulder. "Loosen up, we already got this far ahead. All thanks to you."

Bridget squeaked in surprise. Why didn't she notice him sitting there before? Her yelp accidently awakened a Cheviot lamb and caused the little thing to jump around excitedly. North tried to catch the baby sheep but it slipped out of his large hands. The lamb ran near Bunny causing him to jump in alarm and hop into Nightlight's lap. Bridget almost wrapped the fuzzy creature with her arms when two other arms grabbed the lamb instead.

Jack hushed the lamb, holding it with an adult-like fashion. "Easy, easy, little fella. No one's gonna hurt you." He petted the lamb on his head and keeping the small thing in his lap. Bridget couldn't stop a small laugh from escaping her lips as she looked on the scene with interest. The other Guardians held similar looks as a new respect for the Guardian of Fun grew.

"I never saw you as an animal lover," Bridget observed in a quiet voice, not wanting to disturb the lamb again.

Jack smiled and shrugged. "It's good to know these things if you come from a family of shepherds." He mentally winced when he realized that he might've spoken too much.

"You're from a family of shepherds?" Bridget asked with wide eyes. She never thought of that kind of lifestyle for Jack. He did live in colonial times but she thought there must've been other professions his family had done instead. She mentally shook her head. "_That didn't sound very nice. I should be grateful that I even know something about Jack's past life…"_ A small thought crossed her mind,_ "Was that Emily girl okay with Jack being from that sort of life?"_

Bridget's thoughts went away when she heard Bunny laugh. "That explains the crooked staff way too much."

For a second or less Bridget swore she saw Jack's ears have a small tinge of purple in them. He coughed nervously. "Can we change the subject now?"

"Can I pet him?" Bridget decided to help Jack out with him moment of embarrassment.

Jack smiled in slight relief and nodded. Bridget cooed at the lamb as she rubbed its back affectionately. "What a cute little guy. So small and fuzzy with little fluff coming out of his head," she gurgled. Jack smiled but a little nervous with Bridget almost over his lap. He could smell the apples from her hair again. She looked at Jack with a straight face. "We should put 'im back with his mama." She turned her head away nervously. "He might want to be with her, you know."

Jack felt his heart skip a beat but nodded. He placed the lamb back in the exposed spot where it originally slept before and watched it get comfortable while nuzzling into its (assumed to be) mother's fuzzy stomach.

"Must be nice having a mom or any parent." Bridget thought aloud. She turned around to see the atmosphere with the Guardians look a little…forlorn.

Bridget frowned while tilting her head in worry. "Did I say something bad?"

North blinked, as if he was snapping out of a daydream and chuckled merrily. The others looked uneasy, like they didn't know whether to join in or not. "No…" a hint of a foreign emotion flickered in North's blue eyes temporarily. "Just seeing leetle sheep vith mother is pulling the strings of the heart."

"Because it reminds you all of," Bridget hesitated. "Of how human parents look after their own children and you all have seen that before?" She knew what she really wanted to ask but Bridget had a feeling it must have been an uncomfortable subject for the Guardians. Talking about their old lives and all.

Bunny sighed and shook his head. Bridget blinked and raised her brows. "There's more to it than that, Sheila." His ears dropped down. "A lot more. I lived with a big family of pookas." Bunny's green eyes held so much emotion while he reminisced, "I come from a far away place. It was where all Pooka kind lived. Most of them were great inventors like I was and were really intelligent. By the time a pooka reaches adulthood they've already invented heaps of devices and other goodies. But their brains also matched their brawns too don't get me wrong. The Pookan Brotherhood was proof of that, all of them-even me-were some of the bravest warriors."

"Why do you talk about them in the past tense?" Jack asked, unknowingly asking what Bridget wanted to say.

Bunny's face became hard as stone. Bridget bit her lower and inched closer to him. "You don't have-" "No," Bunny raised a paw. "You deserve to know. I owe you that." He resumed staring at the ground with his eyes softening. "It was like any normal day back in my homeworld. The air was crisp, sky bluer than a brightly colored Bluebird's egg and so much light that it gleamed everywhere. My people held and gathered light and brought to worlds that were ready for its power, did I ever tell you that?"

Jack and Bridget glanced at each other before turning their gaze back at Bunny's and shook their heads. "Right~" Bunny shrugged. "Well anyway our light was sought by many, both from the good…and the bad. The worst turned out to be my race's downfall." His looked of recollection soon formed into a dark look. "Pitch came."

Bridget swore she saw Jack's knuckles turn even whiter when he clutched his staff. Nightlight held his in a similar manner. She didn't need to ask to figure out their history with the boogeyman. Their expressions told her enough.

"He came and destroyed everything. None of them survived. I wanted to fix it, set everything back to the way it was but as I traveled through time (another one of my discoveries as a kit) Tempus came over and thwarted me. He told me messin' with the past is not allowed for any living creature. It was only years later that I was given an exception when the moon needed to be mentioned in Earth's past. But that was the only time I was allowed."

Bridget felt her mouth dry up. A terrible feeling invaded her stomach. She almost felt dizzy. A whole race gone, by of one bastard's dark intentions? It sounded so impossible to Bridget. She read countless books of world history that told of several horrible people who attempted to do genocide but could never succeed.

People would escape, fled to safer lands or others would come in and stop that madness. But Bunny told nothing of that. There were no signs or hints of any hope of his race still being alive. It made her wonder even more how he figured out his center was hope if he lost so much? That's how she felt at least, Bridget wouldn't know what to do if she became the last of her race.

She glanced at Jack for a moment and saw how expression. It almost looked like he was going to cry but no tears could be seen.

"My life was full of hard times as well," Tooth spoke softly. The tone she used sounded so unfamiliar to Bridget. "I was born in Punjam Hy Loo with my parents. My father, Haroom, was born a slave many years ago and became a servant to a maharaja-" her voiced quivered at the mere mentioning of that word-"he was a man of great wealth that wanted nothing than to have everything, including the head of every animal he hunted with my father. He would help the maharaja with tracking the animals but never did the act of killing because he couldn't bear to see it. When the maharaja learned of the flying elephants in Punjam Hy Loo he wanted nothing more than to add one of them to his collection.

"Once my father and the maharaja arrived there, they were attacked by the Sisters of Flight; the invincible race of flying warrior women who lived in the floating palace. The greedy maharaja saw the Sisters as an even better prize and tried to aim his arrow at the most beautiful one of them all. But my father could not accept to see one get killed since he always shields his eyes when an animal was hunted in the past. He did one of the most selfless acts a Sister of Flight or the maharaja ever saw.

"He went in the line of the arrow's direction and took it in his chest." Bridget gaped in complete shock over hearing that. She read stories of fictional people sacrificing themselves for friends and family, but Haroom giving his life up for a race of people he didn't know and it being done in a time **way **before chivalry was ever invented? The redhead frowned momentarily, thinking she could never be that brave.

"This one, selfless act surprised the Sisters of Flight, including the most beautiful one of them all." Tooth smiled warmly. "Her name was Rashmi. She was so touched by Haroom's kind act that she saved him from death. They soon fell in love right away. For his acts of cruelty, the maharaja was forced to give up everything he ever owned, including his memories of being so selfish. When those memories were taken it turned him into a simple monkey, because all he ever known was being vain and spoiled."

"_Alien rabbits that can make anything, Amazon fairy-women who can turn people into monkeys, basically just some of the stranger things the world may never know." _Bridget inwardly sighed as she tried to take this all in.

"A year later after my parents' wedding I was born and given the name, Toothiana." Tooth went on with fondness. She let out a happy sigh from the memory.

"Question." Bridget called out with a raised hand.

"Yes," Tooth chirped.

"Were you…um," Bridget drooped her head down awkwardly. "Covered in feathers back then too?"

Jack almost rolled his eyes, of course Tooth was- "No," Tooth answered at once. "I was just as human as my father."

Now it was Jack's turn to gape. Bridget also felt a little surprised. She never wondered what Tooth looked like as a human. It never crossed her mind. Bridget started to wonder what Tooth might've looked like as a human. If her father was perhaps Indian it might mean that Tooth would have tanned skin. Except her skin currently is a peach-pink color. Maybe she got her completion from her mother, Bridget wasn't so sure. For a moment her eyes trailed back to where Jack sat (why she kept staring at him was due to a case of HARMONES!). He looked like he was in deep thought too. Was he thinking the same thoughts as she?

….Nah.

Tooth giggled at Jack's expression. "Jack, don't you remember what I said about how we were all someone before we were chosen. So was I." She soon held a dejected look. "At least for a while."

"What happen-if I can ask." Bridget kept her breathing steady and calm. She was hoping that she had not crossed a line.

Tooth sighed before continuing. "Because I looked so normal as a child, my parents decided it was best for me to live with other humans. For a while it worked, but once I lost my last baby tooth at the age of twelve; everything changed. I soon gained all the feathers and wings you see on me now. With my form many adults were afraid of me at first. The fear went away when they realized I could've been a prize for them. A human-hummingbird hybrid sounded like the ultimate prize to capture."

"That's horrible," Jack and Bridget exclaimed at once. Both of them looked away from the other after hearing the tone of voice they each used.

Tooth smiled sadly and reassured them it was fine. "For years my parents and I ran to hide from the greedy hunters. It was only until I was around Jack's age was when the worst of them threatened to kill my parents if I didn't willingly give myself up. I was more than agreeable to give into the hunter's demands until my parents…they-they," Tooth tried to take in a deep breath but tears slowly fell down her face.

The others tried to consul the Fairy Queen, telling her she didn't have to continue. "No," she said coarsely. "Bunny told his tale, I need to tell you mine. My parents fought off as best as they could but couldn't fight against them all. I tried to carry them away but I was too small and not strong enough. Instead my parents gave me a ruby chest filled with my baby teeth and told me to fly away. Far and fast as I could, even when I was flying as far as my wings could take I still flew….I never saw my parents after that night."

The horrible clogging feeling that Bridget felt after yelling her dismay earlier went away and complete emptiness pooled inside her. Twice so far she heard back-stories of pasts that couldn't be fixed. A small flicker of hope swelled inside Bridget though.

"What about the Sisters of Flight? You could've lived with them, since they were exactly like you right?"

Tooth's mien did not change. Her eyes glistened from spent tears. She shook her head. "I couldn't. When I did meet with them some time later I told them my parents died. Almost at once they stiffened and soon formed a giant tornado surrounding Punjam Hy Loo. One of them told me if one Sister died they all did and turned into wooden statues afterwards. I became the rightful ruler of the Palace with only my Mini-fairies keeping me company. I made them whenever I split into smaller copies of myself." The five Mini-fairies huddled near their 'mother' and she petted their tiny heads. "They saved me on numerous occasions like my parents had once did."

Bridget felt her throat clog up. Her face felt warm and hot when small tears sprang from her eyes. A warm hand wiped them away. Bridget saw Tooth's face was full of sympathy and warmth. She also placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. It was then that Bridget noticed that Jack's eyes looked a little wet.

"It's alright, Wisdom Tooth. The story does make me teary-eyed but I am fine, really. My work helps me cope with it. And it really does." She finished with a smile.

"How," Bridget asked with honest curiosity. Teeth collecting didn't sound very therapeutic to her.

"Because baby teeth hold the most important memories of childhood." Tooth placed a hand over her chest. "The ones my parents gave to me showed me of all the happy moments I had with them. It was then I started to see the appeal to collecting teeth. Children are all born innocent and kind. Not one child ever betrayed me from the village I lived near. Their parents unfortunately weren't as kind; they were too blinded by the greed of capturing me to see past that. I grew worried that once a child grew up he or she would forget what it was like to be innocent and selfless."

"And that's why you collected the teeth," Jack concluded. "So you could remind them all that after they got older."

Tooth nodded. "Exactly. It was that reason the Man in the Moon chose me as a Guardian years later."

"The same with me," Bunny added. "While we never celebrated Easter-the pookas and I-we still held festivals for when spring rolled around." He smiled with his eyes softening. "We called them the Festivals of Hope because spring was about new beginnings."

"And you brought that toward Easter?" Bridget asked carefully, not a hundred percent sure if that was true or not.

"You got that right," Bunny said.

Jack soon held an unhappy look. "That's gotta be the reason you were always upset that I brought snow on Easter, isn't it?"

Bunny sighed and gave Jack an emotionless look. "Yes."

"Sorry," Jack smiled apologetically.

Bunny shrugged.

"Ha," North sighed. "Most of your stories make mine sound not as bad in comparison."

"How bad is it?" Bridget said without thinking. She winced when she realized her mistake.

North waved off Bridget's sad look. "It is fine, Leetle Girl. My tale is vith its voe but not as bad as others. At least I hope not."

The Guardian of Fun and human girl sat quietly, waiting to hear North's story. He was correct when he said that his past life wasn't as sad as Bunny of Tooth's. North told them that he never knew his parents because he simply couldn't remember since he grew up in the cold, wilds of Russia. To Bridget that sounded very lonely. The idea of never having a mother or father to look after you, it sounded very lonely. North admitted-albeit reluctantly that he did feel alone with no else and being considered predator or pray at just the 'falling of cap,' as North referred to. Eventually he was found by the Cossacks and learned everything he knew about being a fierce warrior.

Alas the life of a Cossack did not suit North forever. The Cossacks (at least the ones North knew) were a savage tribe that disregarded human life. North's moral outlook didn't work with that ethic very well.

"In end I left hood of brothers vith Cossacks and became bandit." North chuckled loudly. "Best bandit in all of Europe in fact and notorious." He cackled loudly. Bridget and Jack smiled in amusement, hearing North's animated storytelling. "Stole so much loot that my big arms couldn't hold most of it up altogether." He laughed once more until Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy gave him unamused looks. It would seem they were thinking his stories would become bad influences. The former Cossack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Anyvay, I made a band of outlaws and rest of story you should know by now."

"Yes," Bridget nodded, a small smile played on her features. Memories of her fist visit to North's Santoff Claussen replayed in her mind.

"So," North laced his hands and held an interested look. "Did our old stories shine some light?"

Bridget blinked in confusion before saying, "It did but I think you forgot Sandy and Nightlight."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "They probably have something to say too."

Sandy gave Jack a blank look. "Or…at least as they can say the usual way they do."

With using any words or a glance Nightlight handed the notebook over to Sandy who then started scribbling on it feverishly. Those who could talk (and preferred talking) inched closer toward the Guardian of Dreams stared at awe of his madman-like writing and sketching. In a matter of minutes Sandy stopped writing and all that was left of the pencil he used was a little stub.

Sandy opened to the last page that Nightlight wrote on and showed an image. It was he inside a shooting star flying across space. He turned the next page that showed the Sandy inside his shooting star once more. Bridget eyed the paper in confusion until she noticed something different about it. The shooting star was in the middle of the drawing in the last picture but in this one it moved slightly. Just as Bridget gripped this information Sandy turned the page to the previous one. Back and forth he turn over the two pages until Bridget started to see what Sanderson Mansnoozie was trying to show.

In the two pictures the shooting star had gradually moved and even the stars shrunk or grew bigger to make it look as though they twinkled.

"It's a flip book." Jack said a moment later. He smiled in amusement. "I use to see people play with these all the time at the Turn of the Century."

Bridget glanced his was for a moment before returning her attention back to the pad. Soon Sandy began to flip the pages at a faster pace that soon appeared as though they were moving on their own. Jack was reminded of the black and white movies with surreal stories that he sometimes saw being played when he was done with a Snow Day and had time on his hands many years ago. There was this one director he liked a lot but couldn't remember his name. All Jack remembered was that the guy was French and made a film with a rocket in the moon's eye. He almost snickered, finding the idea that the director may have known about MiM long before Jack did.

_"This must be what it's like watching films by _Georges Méliès, _wow_." Bridget thought. The pictures gave her the feeling she got from reading Jules Vern novels. The pictures on the book showed Sandy in his shooting star-like ship and flew past magnificent airships that flew through the sea of stars and planets.

One of the airships looked vaguely familiar to the winter spirit and human. It's sails were shimmering gold that swayed ever so slightly with each movement. The main part of the ship was the most noticeable with its body round and with dents that almost looked like craters. It didn't take long for Jack and Bridget to figure out what the name of the ship.

The Moon Clipper

The name of the ship was written in fancy cursive by Sandy's handwriting with each lowercase 'o' having little dots inside to appear as moon craters. Even when writing, Sandy showed creativity.

"Sandy," Bridget called out. The Guardian of Dreams glanced at her. "You are still the most awesome Guardian ever." Her eyes remained glued to the pictures. "Tooth you don't count 'cause you're still on your own list."

The remaining Guardians groaned while Tooth giggled happily.

The image of the Moon Clipper zoomed in and inside Bridget saw the illustration of a family of three with…robots, mice, and moths and glowworms surrounding them? Bridget blinked her eyes and peered again just in case it was a trick of the light. Much to her surprise it wasn't an illusion, what she was gazing at was actually there. She mentally shrugged moments later. This point was no longer surprised Bridget.

Bridget did arch an eyebrow when she saw a familiar face next to the family of three. "Et tu, Nightlight?" She asked in the only Latin she knew.

Nightlight smiled meekly and shrugged.

"He was the Guardian of MiM when he was a baby." Tooth explained while pointing at the image of the mother holding a small, bubbling, and baby boy laughing.

"Does that mean Nightlight's the Guardian of **MiM**?" Jack teased.

The spectral boy once again shrugged, having no recollection of his past and unsure what his actual center was either way.

"It's amazing to see what kind of things all of you did back a long time ago," Bridget complimented.

North chuckled bashfully. "Yes, vell Manny had feeling ve be all destined for great things."

"Which was all of us giving out gifts to ankle-biters." Bunny ribbed. "What are the odds of that?"

Bridget's eyes widened before exclaiming, "Gosh Bunny, thanks for reminding me." She leaned to where her back was and excavated inside. "I almost forgot that I got these gifts for all of you."

"Us?" The Guardians held surprised looks.

Bridget giggled. "Yes you. Though to be honest it started out as some shopping for me but since this guy-" Jack winced slightly "-insisted on purchasing anything I wanted I figured I might as well got some things for you all too." She grunted after pulling a couple shopping bags out of the pack.

"'Some things?'" Tooth eyed the bags.

The redhead shrugged. "Did I mention that the guy also like showing me every darn place in Wexford?...eh, guess I didn't."

Bridget pulled out from the first bag to reveal a tube of toothpaste and a small box of floss.

Tooth and her Mini-fairies couldn't contain their joy. "Oh, you remembered!"

Bridget smiled, rather smugly and nodded. "Yeah, I even got myself a toothbrush for it." She brought out a regular toothbrush that had a silver handle. "I even got 6 more so we could all share the toothpaste." She branded out six toothbrushes nearly identical to the one she had gotten. The only difference was that they came in different colors. The red one went to North, pink for Tooth, blue for Jack, golden-yellow for Sandy, and a white one for Nightlight.

"For some reason I couldn't get a green one so I got you this purple toothbrush instead." Bridget handed a sparkly purple tooth-cleaning utensil Bunny. "I hope you don't mind that, Bunny."

The pooka ignored Jack's snickering and smiled painfully. "No wuckas for me ya big Ankle-Biter, it's the thought that counts."

Bridget smiled and turned away to pick out the next bag. _"__**Why **__is it always purple?"_ Bunny sighed mentally. _"My color's green for MiM's sake."_

"When I went to this bakery I was able to get a Baker's Dozen of chocolate shortbread cookies. " Bridget brandished out a tin box and removed the lid to reveal thirteen freshly made cookies. North looked like he was about to have a heart attack. "They look so…" North shed a tear. "Beautiful."

"And you're **all **sharing them." Bridget brought the tin box near her chest and giving North a warning look. "And they're not gonna be eaten all at once, right~?"

North sighed but agreed with a nod.

"And we'll eat these before flossing understand," Tooth added while each shortbread biscuit was passed around.

"Yes, Tooth." The other Guardians called out exasperated, almost like they had been through with this before.

Bridget almost wanted to giggle. "Here I got this other thing the rest you can share. But I must admit I was thinking of Jack when getting this one."

Most of the others shared small smiles while Jack sat eagerly to see what the gift was.

"I got a disposable camera!" Bridget held a rectangular shaped object and smiled widely. Jack's eyes nearly popped out when she handed it to him. The redhead smiled and added, "I remember when you talked with Bunny about getting one instead of a dog. While there was this cute little _Irish wolfhound _two shops over it was too expensive and-" her words were silenced when a cool body hugged her without warning.

"Thank you… no one has done that for me-since…" Jack chocked before removing himself off of her. Bridget felt her mind go blank and couldn't think coherently. Her brain would've stayed that way until she heard a cough. Bridget smiled weakly when she saw the others give her looks that didn't hide their happy expressions.

"Well," Bridget nearly squeaked before adjusting her tone. "The camera is still for everybody so…it's all yours." She didn't catch the small hint of rejection that glimmered in Jack's eyes.

"_Poor kid," _Bunny sighed inwardly. His green eyes widened when he something long and orange come his way. Gray eyes stared into his while holding one of the most beautiful things Bunny ever saw.

"When I passed by a market a lady was selling these carrots." Bridget explained while showing the orange vegetables to the mind blown pooka. "I thought they would be a good thing to snack on if we got tired of the shortbread."

North gasped in horror while he grabbed the lone tin box and cradled it like a small child. "How can cookies be treated so lowly?"

"**If **we got tired of the cookies, North." Bridget reminded him. Her attention turned back toward Bunny. "I figured it would be a good health snack alternative. If you want one it's all-" one swipe from Bunny's paws said enough as he stuffed the veggie inside his mouth. The sound of crunching awakened a few sheep. They noticed the orange food and baaed with fervent eyes. Bunny seized his carrot and glared at the livestock.

"Maybe you should've given those to him **before **we got in here." Jack said, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Yeah." Bridget sighed. She and Tooth shooed the sheep away while Sandy knocked them out again ("with the dreamsand ya gumbies!" Bunny snapped when he saw Sandy making a punching motion with his hand in his fist.).

"Next I got this from a tech store near the thrift shop where I got my pants."

"I like the patterns," North complimented. "Very Christmas-y."

Bridget blushed. "That was the point actually." Bunny sighed and rolled his eyes. Figures there would be a kid that liked North's holiday more than his own. "But moving on I got this for you all in case we're all outside and it's dark." She pulled out a flashlight and handed it to the spectral boy. "Think of it as a substitute until your moonbeam gets better."

Nightlight smiled the most sincere smile he could muster and accepted the electric power source. He had fun flickering the switch on and off until Sandy motioned him to stop or else the battery would run out.

"Last, but certainly not least for the most awesome Guardian-" Sandy beamed at the compliment while the other guys snorted and muttered under their breath. "This," Bridget handed Sandy a tiny shopping bag. He poked his hand through the tissue paper and pulled out the two entities. A pure white sleeping mask with the phrase _Insom-maniac_ knitted in gold with a pair of earbuds in a plastic container.

"I couldn't figure out a better gift for the Sandman than those." Bridget smiled feebly. "I hope I didn't insult you or…" her voiced trailed off when Sandy gave her two thumbs up and smiled very widely. "You're welcome," she said gratefully.

"It was nice for you to do all this for us, Bridget." Tooth showed appreciation after she flossed the Mini-fairies teeth.

Bridget smiled while yawning. "Yeah~ah! I-I wanted to thank you all a-ah-and make up for h-oww~ I was gone."

"I think it's time for someone to go timey of the sleep." North warned with a smile. Even with the good humor he still meant that the girl should get some sleep.

"Alight, alright." Bridget waved her hand and leaned her back to the trailer wall and used her backpack as a pillow. She removed her glasses and put them in her pocket. In the other pocket Sal climbed out and crawled until he was on Bridget's fluffy hoodie and curled inside the head covering.

"Why would he climb out just to sleep outside?" Jack asked. Nightlight shrugged, he assumed that particular amphibian was more peculiar than most of his kind. Eventually the others soon followed North and Bridget's example and drifted off to sleep, letting the lingering dreamsand Sandy sprinkled earlier finally take them in. The only one still technically awake was Nightlight of course. He had no need to sleep with his original edict of always being awake to ensure Baby MiM's safety many moons ago. Fortunate for MiM but unfortunate of Nightlight, MiM no longer needed a Guardian while dreaming since he became a Guardian himself.

Daydreaming was enough for Nightlight. Tonight he decided to daydream about seeing Katherine again. He smiled when he remembered how she loved flying on Kailash of the adventures they shared. For a moment he felt something wet on his face. Nightlight touched his skin to reveal a tear on his forefinger. He quietly sighed before putting the tear into his dagger, conjoining the two together into a somewhat larger blade. A small shimmer from the moonbeam glimmered inside. The spectral boy touched the flat edge and sighed. "_Soon," _he thought. "_Very soon."_

* * *

Jack was slumbering quietly when he felt a jab on his side. He grumbled quietly while trying to get back to the dream he was having. He was in the middle of the most epic snowball fight with an army of snowmen when he felt the jab again. "Okay, okay I'm up," Jack muttered darkly while rubbing his eyes. Whoever it was that waked him was **so **going to get frostbite and-"Sorry about waking you," Bridget smiled apologetically, her eyes gleaming their usual silver color.

Jack sighed. So much for frostbiting somebody. "Nah, it's cool. I was already starting to wake up," he fibbed.

Bridget smiled. "Good 'cause I didn't want to be the only one to see this."

"See wha-" Jack was pulled up by Bridget as she ushered him to look through the trailer's fenced wall with her. "What are we suppose to be looking at?"

"Wait for it." Bridget said while grinning ear to ear. In front of the two was a large green hill by the road. All was calm when something caught Jack's eye. He saw a sliver of light peaking from the trees with it rising with each passing second. The dark sky turned from black into a lighter violet with the stars fading. The violet sky gave way to hues of orange and yellow as the dawn broke out. "Isn't it the most incredible thing you're ever seen?" Bridget asked with her voice below a whisper.

Jack eyed the sunrise for a moment before turning his attention back to Bridget. He mentally frowned, guilt pouring in from all the times he took a sunrise for granted. Being alive for 300 years, seeing the same day of not being believed in drag on, made each sunrise look less spectacular.

Now enter Bridget, a girl who had never seen anything until a week ago. She enjoyed seeing everything with great wonder. She giggled and squealed at every little thing that most people would consider old and mundane. The sunrise was considered one of them. Still the colors were lovely to look at and seeing Bridget getting excited was an added bonus. "Yeah," he breathed out.

"I always read about stuff like this-sunrises I mean-I always wondered what one looked like." Bridget smiled fondly as she remembered something. "Sometimes back in Santoff Claussen, when I got my eyesight, I would open the window to my room and watch the sun go up. Of course I didn't stare at it directly or else I would go blind again." She chuckled quietly. "But I always loved how beautiful it made everything look. It even made your snow look shiny and stuff."

"Did it now?" Jack smiled.

Bridget laughed again. "Yep." She looked down at her bracelet while letting its metal touch light from the sun. The gold glittered with a bright light that was shadowed by Bridget's hand. "When I first read about astrology and what time the sun would rise everyday I use to…"

"What?" Jack asked interested into what she had to say.

"I use to make a promise on each sunrise." She frowned before adding, "Don't laugh okay? I read that nursery book when I was a kid telling me that when a person woke up when the sun would rise they could make a promise on it for each new day. Of course it was written in a rhyme telling me but I don't remember it that well. Anyway I would…set my alarm every morning when the sun was suppose to rise and I'd make a promise on it." She glanced at Jack. "Please don't laugh. I know it sounds silly-"

"No," Jack called out. "Okay it's a little childish but that's what I like about it. It's something a kid would do."

Bridget smiled while fingering her bracelet. "You really think so?"

"Of course," Jack nodded. He smiled and asked in an amused tone. "So did you like to promise about?"

Bridget smiled bashfully. "Just stuff about having a better day than the last, trying out a new book in the library. Stuff like that. I did make a few new promises this week though."

"Like what?"

"The first one was going to North's Santoff Claussen and coming back to tell Jamie and Sophie about the birds and if their friends are okay. After that, the next one was going to find them both along with the other children of the world and beat the crap outta the Morrígan." Jack snickered at that one. "And the last one was kinda more selfish."

"How bad could it be?" Jack asked with an amused smile. She must've promised something trivial like getting better grades in school or something similar.

"To find a family when this is all over," Bridget answered.

Jack mentally slapped himself. "How exactly is that selfish?"

"Because it feels like I'm wasting a promise with that." Bridget mumbled as she crossed her arms.

"Why are you obsessed with families anyway?" Jack felt like he might have known the answer already but he wanted to hear what Bridget had to say about the matter.

"Well it's the one thing everyone else that's not me had before in one point in their lives. Everybody wants one and I do too. I never got the chance to really have one." Bridget's eyes downcasted as she looked at her bracelet. "Someone, a long time ago, must've wanted or loved me enough to give me this. They had to have been my family. It's the only thing I probably have left of them and I have no idea what it is meant to be. I tried wishing to figure out what it was but wishes can't come true like that. Promises make more sense since you can actually do something about it and make it happen on your own.

"Still I haven't found anything to prove whom my family may or may not be," Bridget sighed at her trinket. "Who knows maybe I had fire powers when I was a baby and they aband-"

"Don't you finish that," Jack told her. "Your family cared about you, I'm sure about that. That's the one thing a family does for each other. Even when things look bad or you did something wrong they'll still love you not matter what."

Bridget blinked and held a slight look of awe. "That's pretty deep."

Jack smiled and tried hiding his blush. "It was something my…father use to say to me whenever I made a mess of things or angered some townsfolk with my tricks." Bridget smiled hearing that. "He always said that even when things look bad for someone that's when their family's there for them the most."

"And you're trying to say mine is probably out there." Bridget half smiled.

Jack nodded, sporting a grin of his own. "I never noticed how nice a sunrise looked. Too busy with making ice and playing, ya know?"

Bridget smiled wholeheartedly. "It's good to notice the ordinary things of life. Makes you look back at them more fondly."

"Yeah."

A comfortable silence enwrapped the two as the sky slowly turned from gold into its familiar blue once more.

* * *

Nightlight felt a bump on the road and hopped out of his dizzy daydream. He sighed sadly when he realized it was nothing more than that. He was about to feign slumbering once more when he saw a most befuddling thing. A warm-blooded human was resting her head on the shoulder of a winter spirit. Bridget did not look uncomfortable in the slightest way, with the possible exception of her face looking rather pink from the cold. Both she and Jack looked comfortable enough for two people resting on a trailer's wall and did not looked like they wished to be disturbed either. Nightlight smiled whilst shaking his head in amusement. He adjusted his body slightly and resumed daydreaming once more. A voice softer than a whisper was faintly heard in Bridget's consciousness.

"Katherine, wait for me."

* * *

**Q-A: **Boy wasn't that a chapter, huh? Can you believe it's only been 20 chapters and all this stuff has already happened? :O Gosh! I can't believe so many people have stood by since then. Thank you all very much! 79 reviews is huge for me! Thank-you all again for sticking up with me so far. Next chapter we will definitely meet the Leprechaun! I'm still unsure what to name the guy. Anybody got any good Irish names to throw out for me? I'd appreciate if very much.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	21. Stone Cold

**Disclaimer: **Characters from RotG aren't mine. Story is mine. Anything remotely similar to another person's story is completely coincidental

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_~Stone Cold~_

The sensation of small knives jabbing across maintained with each step she took. The Morrígan was perfectly aware of how cold it was underground; she absolutely thrived in it. Most of her….followers willingly agreed to the ambiance with earnestness. To be honest she wasn't so sure if it was the natural born crows that cawed this or the homunculi saying it. They all started to look the same to her.

The Morrígan's hand caressed the stonewall near where the throne stood. She stared blankly at the carving that held a look of horror before her. The girl and her goose were in an eternal state of motionless reticence. The Morrígan had a lapse of emotion for a brief second and nearly broke her impassive mien. She remembered how she caught the girl and entrapped her into the wall with a spell. The goose was much more resistant and even slammed itself into the wall as though its weight would be enough to free the girl. The Morrígan found that behavior quiet unsettling and subdued the abnormally large bird with ease and repeated the spell and sending it into a stony prison.

The image showed of the two terrified beings as they gesticulated into a stance trying to protect the other from an unseen force. Obviously that unseen force was the Morrígan when she casted her spell at the time and each one tried to avoid the blast. The spectral boy came soon after with a fierce look of vengeance swelling in his eyes.

The Morrígan almost envied that look.

She knew what it was like to have everything you had so foolishly cared for taken from you by someone most unworthy. The boy was much harder to fight with his ability to fly and emitting light from his staff. If he had fought her now, why the Morrígan might've lost with her lack of power. By the Mother Goddess, how she hated this time era she was forced to survive in.

_**Most troublesome indeed. **_The Morrígan winced and turned away. Looking back to the past was something that needed to be done leisurely but not often. The shade of black insisted on that. It helped during her one pathetic moment of thoroughgoing weakness. The first time in her existence she felt fear. It was appalling for a war goddess like herself to show that kind of emotion.

_**Most unheard of indeed.** _It was then the shade spoke to her again. Telling the Goddess of Death that she had a way to stop that fear. The very fear that would eat her away from the inside if she did not control it. The shade claimed that removing the problem would assert that things would return to normal for the people she once followed. Yes, the throne would become hers and hers alone if she followed the shade's words to the letter. Only of course the written language wasn't invented in Erie yet, but she digressed.

It didn't take long for the Morrígan to get her way. Precise planning was her forte after all, strategies were easy for her to outline from years of perfecting battlefield tactics. All it took was the right time to act. When the moment came she proceeded with a maneuver to assure that the battle would give her the upper hand. In the end the battle ended with several casualties on both sides but her side ended up being victorious. What she gained was the Ancestral Earth-Mound of her people and the land she so rightfully deserved. Or at least that is what she thought

_**The battle may have concluded but the war is far from over.**_ When the Morrígan passed by a tattered tapestry and slashed it with her clawed hand with little to no remorse.

_"Unfortunately that is true, my old friend."_ The Morrígan thought then spat aloud. "Despite all that warring someone still evaded my grasp. The fire arrow escaped. Damn the coldest reaches of the Otherworld of that outcome. The fire arrow eluded me and succeeded at reaching its target."

The four treasures of her people were taken away. The Morrígan searched through the land to find them both only for the fire arrow to dodge at every chance. It always slipped from the goddess' grasp.

The worst of the whole chase was that the Morrígan had to witness mortal after mortal choosing a new god instead of her. She saw the world turned with every rise and fall of so-called grand civilizations. They all thought to have held great seats of power but it was a petty excuse. She knew the truth that none of them lasted longer than a few millennia or so.

Such pathetic creatures, the human race is.

None of them knew the first thing about ruling an empire longer than 3,000 years. The time each kingdom lasted only for it to diminished as time rolled on. Humans would simply say 'nothing is perfect' and start all over. That didn't suit the Morrígan at all.

Real power is a birthright and honor to hold. The race she came from was born to rule and took Eire as their own land with ease. If her people could see the world now the Morrígan would be certain they would all die a second time. Oh yes, those humans needed to see the error of their ways. They couldn't just imagine something to get better; it was a necessity for them to realize how false that fanciful, petty time was.

Facing the true reality was the only way to go. A pure world where one being of great power ruled all society over. They needed guidance and to be submissive. Subjugation was what needed to be done. To be feed their thoughts and feelings so they did not need to think. Just like worms feeding on a corpse, humans would seek only nourishment while their unquestioned leader could do the rest. That ideal world will be perfect, once those False Gods are removed and no longer trying to get in the Morrígan's way.

"Mistress," General Aingeal called out. The Morrígan snapped out of her morbid thoughts and twisted her direction toward the crow. Her cursed eyes peered at the black bird. "What is it?" She strode to where Aingeal stood.

"We found another being trying to defy you, Your Grace." The crow bowed with her beak almost touching the floor.

_**Do I wonder what you will do to that poor soul? **_The Morrígan smirked; she was use to the shade's sarcasm by this point in time. "Bring it to me. I'll see to it that creature gets the retribution it deserves."

"Of course," Aingeal bowed before taking off.

"_Even with the promise of life these dwellers from later times have resisted me." _The Morrígan thought dully. _"Can they not see the great new world I promise them?"_

_**They do not like what they cannot comprehend, Goddess of Death.**_ The shade shifted in the Morrígan's shadow and took the form of a leering but seemingly animalistic form. It rested casually on the side of the wall. _**Cleary they do not grasp the glorious vision I-you had come up with. **_

"Indeed they do not," the goddess agreed. She paced back and forth with her previous resentment slowly returning. "Those little fairies have been wasting their time lounging about like they own this country. Some have even-Mother Goddess forbid-correlated alongside with those fickle Worshipers. It's sickening to think about it."

The sounds of struggling could be heard when the Morrígan saw several crows dragging a struggling body forward. It was a small bipedal creature with fur all over its body. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"My Mistress," Aingeal landed by the Phantom Queen's side. "We found this…._Bòcan," _she spoke the name with such distaste as if it were a disease. "Was found trying to rally supporters for the False Gods."

The Bòcan groaned in pain when he fell to the ground. "The Bòcan has a name, ya know." After hearing that remark the crows around him poised their claws, aiming for his chest.

"Wait," the Morrígan ordered, the claws were lowered slightly. "Let us hear what this traitor has to say first." The Bòcan sat up to rest on his knees while the goddess stepped closer. "Tell me, of your reason for treason, little Fae."

"Forgive me, Great One." The Bòcan muttered.

The Morrígan narrowed her red eyes. "An admission of guilt will not save you from punishment."

"Not to sound rude," the Bòcan smiled rather self-righteously. "But I wasn't talking to you." His ember eyes directed toward the wall behind her. The Morrígan turned to see what the Bòcan was looking past her. The wall held the carvings of several legendary figures. Each one held an object that was a symbol of power for the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The Stone of Fál was positioned with high decorum while the warrior beside it did his best not to directly touch the sacred rock; only a High King was worthy to behold such an awesome monument.

The Spear of Lug was seized in the hand of Lug himself as his image was poised for a incoming battle the artist did not make with Lug holding his spear directly. The carver had left the onslaught of adversaries to the viewer's imagination and which direction they would come from.

The Sword belonging to Núadu was in his hand while a shield was clasped in his other one. He stone-gray eyes held deep determination while he took a battle stance.

Last but not least of the four treasures and warriors was the one who stood in the middle. The Great King of the Tuatha Dé Danann; the Dagda. He stood with his arms holding a club and beneath his feet stood the Cauldron, it overflowing with delicious food from the hearth. If the Morrígan was a tiny proportion of the woman she once was then those images would have given her clouded feelings of discomfort and melancholy. She remained silent before speaking in a fervent voice.

"The dead are nothing but shadows from the past. Reminders of the true despair this world still faces." The Morrígan turned to the Bòcan with a fierce look. "And I am to change it to the right image that suits me."

The frowned; he had expected a comment like that. "That is what I feared you would say." He glared darkly at her. "You wish to make the world better but you do not think of others and what they feel. Three months ago you had taken children all over for whatever purpose you have in mind. One of them was a boy I knew very well."

The Bòcan had left the safety of his home in Kildare months before. He no longer had forests to hide and to run away from predators. The village seemed to be safe to rest until the cold settled in. On a cold evening when Segel, the Bòcan, felt like he couldn't last much longer a human child found him hiding in the tree trunk near the boy's house.

Much to Segel's surprise the boy took him in and had Segel rest near the fire. The Bòcan was too weak at that point in time to even wonder how the boy could see him. For several days at a time the boy would help Segel get his strength back with food he had 'barrowed' from his grandmother and even made a little bed out of downy pillows for the Fae to sleep upon. This kind act made Segel promise to watch his little master and assist him in anyway he could.

Sometimes without anyone's notice, he would slink around the house and find objects that the boy and his family may have misplaced. Once he did Segal would carry them from the misplaced spot and brought them to obvious spots where the people could find them again. He wasn't sure if the boy knew of this until a week he had started his little _Lost & Found_ operation a small slice of pound cake was hidden near the hearth on one late night.

When his young master had been spirited away in the night, Segel vowed to find him once he saw the kidnapper's calling card; a sole black feather. Segel had heard whispers from wayward Fae that the one called the Phantom Queen had returned. The Leprechauns warned the other Fae that **she **was a force to be reckoned with and said that avoiding her warth should be encouraged. Segel didn't care for this before joining a group of resisting Fae that wanted to cease the wicked goddess' mistreatment toward their collective homes. Their losses never outweighed the triumphs that turned out well.

In the end only Segel and a few others remained after their numbers dwindled from previous battles. They were gathering new recruits when the crows came and attacked when they narrowed down Segel as the leader the birds took him to the earth mound awaiting punishment from the Phantom Queen herself. Segel would silently agree to his fallen comrades inquires that she was indeed a frightening site to behold.

"Such noble words," the Morrígan sneered a minute after Segel's outburst. "Noble words for such a folly. Those **men **no longer live. That time has come to an end. Despair will be the only feeling inside everyone's hearts." The smallest of smirks treaded her face. "And so will you." Seconds later Segel felt every part of his body hurt when he was slammed to a wall. When he fell over he saw carved images etched onto the stone. His eyes widened in horror when he recognized a few of the pictures as his old partners in the resistance movement. Hundreds of other carvings of petrified beings could be seen, including one of a human girl riding on a large goose.

Segel heard dark laughter and turned to see the Morrígan above him with malevolence. "I think it is time for you to be reunited with your former equals, Bòcan." All Segel could do was cower before his image appeared on the wall with his fallen brethren. The Morrígan smirked in satisfaction. One less nuisance for her to meditate over.

"Mistress," Aingeal called out with another crow near her. "This officer has returned from reconnaissance. He claims to have seen the False Gods boarding into an metal animal transporter." She took a step forward for dramatic effect. "They seem to be heading to the human capital, Dublin, Mistress."

The Morrígan took in the news with a calm demeanor and ordered, "Have him go back to Dublin. I believe a certain sprite could still be residing there. We cannot have him forget whose country this rightfully belongs to."

"Yes, Phantom Queen." Aingeal bowed and escorted the other crow toward the secret entrance of the earth mound.

The Morrígan turned her gaze back to the stonewall where the four treasures were present. Her eyes momentarily soften while she peered into the stone eyes of the Dagda. She placed her hand on the carving's cheek before recoiling it from the cold surface. The goddess screeched out and slashed the face repeatedly until it was ripped clean off from the wall. She seethed as the dust in the air settled in and faded.

The Morrígan closed her eyes then took a deep breath. Once she opened them again her eye eyes glowed. Her shadow that danced in the light of the hanging torches from above morphed into the form of the shade. Together in the Morrígan's triple voice spoke, _**"Soon the end for them will come, 'Darkness…will the others fall **__**with**__**one remaining to rule over all!' **_

The reciting of the Prophecy ended with a loud clamor from the Phantom Queen as her roar echo across the chamber. She may have gone by many names and took many forms she is and always will be the Morrígan. And even if those False Gods want to admit it or not, her powers grow stronger and are greater than they could ever _imagine._

* * *

**Q-A: **O-O Remember that last word forever! Or at least for the rest of the story since it's one of the biggest themes my story has. :D Super sorry this isn't as long as my other chapters but I'm working on one that's pretty long, so I figured this one could balance it out. Plus it's pretty cool to see the antagonist's point of view like this for once. And another O.C., XP Yeah I keep spewing those out don't I? Please don't worry though, Segel has a point in the story and it'll bring back in a later chapter.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	22. Click-Clack Baby Steps

**Disclaimer: **I own no RotG characters. O.C.s belong to me. The beautiful and underrated song _My Favorite Time of Year_ by the _Florin Street Band _does not belong to me either.

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_~Click-Clack Baby Steps~ _

When time passes for a person who is awake it feels as thought time took too long. But when a person sleeps time goes away quickly than you wish for it to be. It was what Bridget felt when she was abruptly wakened up. Over and over someone jostled her shoulder with his or her hand. Bridget tried pushing it away with her own.

"Five more minutes." Bridget muttered while shooing the hand away. This time both of her shoulders were being shaken. "Okay, I'm up." Right after brushing her eyes clean from dreamsand she saw who had been her alarm clock. "Jack?"

"We gotta get going." Jack said quickly after pulling a dazed Bridget up to her feet. She brushed some hay off of her and asked, "What for?"

"We're in Dublin." Bunny answered bluntly. He, along with the other Guardians, stood near the back door while pushing some sheep away. Most of the four-legged animals baaed in protest.

"Already?" Bridget widened her eyes in astonishment. She still had her glasses on from the time she looked at the sunrise with Jack but they were a little lopsided. The redhead adjusted them to see that the trailer had stopped at a street's intersection somewhere in the downtown district. Her eyes widened a lot more. "Whoa, we **are **here."

"Yeah and we need to get out of here, Fast." Jack handed Bridget her backpack as they headed to where the others were.

"We'll have to jump out while this truck is still stopping on that red light over there," Bunny explained. The stoplight for the intersection was currently red, how long it would last until it turned green again was anybody's guess. Nightlight fiddled with the lock until it became ajar and Sandy pushed the door open.

"All right," Bunny wrinkled his nose before pointing at Bridget. "Big Ankle-biter you jump out first."

"Me?" Bridget swallowed nervously. The trailer's edge was a good few feet from the hard asphalt.

"Oh c'mon," Jack rolled his eyes. "You jumped over a roof the other night."

Bridget retorted, "A roof I almost fell from."

Moments later the trailer jerked slightly before it started to inch forward. Tooth's pink amethyst eyes widened. "We need to go, NOW!"

"Klassno!" North called while jumping out of the trailer like a madman. Bunny soon followed with Sandy and Nightlight in tow.

"You go," Bridget insisted.

"Ladies first." Jack called back as he pulled her arm and pushed her out first. Petrov prepared to jump out to join them but the doors closed back violently and snapped with a lock.

"Petrov!" North called out toward the moving vehicle as it moved quickly and further away. A honking noise was heard as Bridget saw a car coming almost into her view. Without question she and the Guardians jumped out of the road while playing a nice game of dodging traffic. Cars swerved and narrowly missed Bridget by a hair all the while Jack jumped over hoods and Bunny shimmied through car tires. Tooth used her cane to vault over a _Smart_ car. Sandy and Nightlight escaped the cars just barely along with a despondent North.

Bridget, Tooth, and Jack soon reached the others moments later. They took a few seconds to catch their breath. "Heh, so that's why moms tell their kids that playing in traffic is bad." Bridget gasped with a tired grin. North clasped her shoulder and said hurriedly, "No time for rest, ve must find Petrov."

Almost everyone started running until Bridget called out, "Wait! Did anyone remember the color of the truck we were in or at least the number on the license plate?"

The Guardians held looks of embarrassment. "That's what I thought." Bridget sighed while flicking her bangs in irritation.

"It could've been a green truck." Tooth suggested. "It had a dark color."

"Funny, it looked navy blue to me." Jack muttered with a shrug.

I thought it looked black.

Sandy wrote on Nightlight's notepad.

"Guessing color of truck vill not help Petrov." North exclaimed. "Ve must follow truck and find him."

"North," Bridget tried reasoning. "Cars have already passed through this street. No one was able to get a good eye on the truck."

"Then ve must look harder!" North snapped. Everyone held looks of astonishment at hearing him talk like that. Bridget took a step while her lower lip quivered. North's stern look melted away and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Leetle Girl, I apologize. It's just," he sighed. "Petrov has been vith me since he vas leetle favn. He and rest of reindeer are мои дети-my children. Vhen they left I vas devastated. Having Petrov filled space that vas empty. And now," North paused for an unintentional dramatic effect. "He is gone too."

Bridget frowned and shrugged halfheartedly. "I understand. I wouldn't know what I would do if I lost something precious to me." Jack saw her fidgeting her gold bracelet.

"It'll be okay, North." Tooth promised, her eyes a little wet as she clutched her bag with the Mini-fairies inside. "We can help look for him."

"Right," Bunny hopped on a fire hydrant to stand higher. "We'll do it together. We've squared the circle before right?" He smiled and said amusedly, "Can't have your Chrissie be ruined by one cow goin' missing."

Tooth smiled at the pooka's direction, pleased that he agreed with her. He adverted his eyes before hopping down. Tooth regarded him with puzzlement briefly.

"Yes," North nodded with newfound determination. "Ve vill look for that truck."

Jack grinned while a cheery aside. "'Can't be too hard to find one deer. We just gotta look for a trailer full of chevioterna, plus one deer."

Everyone gave Jack astonished looks. Jack frowned placed his hands in his pockets. "What, that's plural for the sheep we slept with. I don't make this stuff up." He shot his arms up in defeat.

Bridget half-smiled with a shake of her head. "Nothing wrong with knowing that, Frosty."

Jack humphed but held a smirk.

"Let's go off and find Petrov." Tooth announced.

"Here ve go," North called out as he ran down the street.

"Red light, North! Red light!" Bunny called out. He grumbled and sighed. "I swear, he acts more like a kid than a grown man."

"Well he is immortal," Bridget pointed out as she started running at a quicker pace to catch up to the energetic North.

"So am I, but you don't see me acting like some brumby like he does."

"Wanna bet, Cottontail?" Jack taunted while twirling his cane.

"Don't start up with me." Bunny warned.

Bridget glanced at Tooth, Sandy, and Nightlight who all rolled their eyes.

Those three Guardians just didn't know when to quit.

* * *

Morning had come and gone without announcement by way of the sun passing over accordingly. No trailer was left unturned and inspected by the Guardians. Bridget would write down the license plate of every truck they looked over so there wouldn't be any mistakes of looking at the same one twice. The only moments worth mentioning were the baffled expressions Bridget got from the truck drivers when they caught her writing.

"He-he," Bridget would laugh sheepishly. "Just a little project for school." She sometimes shrugged and scurried away after writing that last number or letter down.

It was already mid-afternoon by the time most of the group had taken a rest from searching. They had found a place to rest in _Saint Stephen's Green, _a famous park residing in the city. Most of them held tired expression as they rested near _the Tree Faites_ or _Fates' Fountain._ Baby Tooth and her sisters sat near the edge of the fountain to take a drink. Bridget placed Sal in the water to keep him from dying and oddly enough did not stray far from where she sat. For the most part they all tried to keep themselves cool from the sun and its uncomfortable heat. With the weather and the time of day it was not many people were out so Bridget and the Guardians were safe from peering eyes.

"I don't get it. I thought winter was suppose to be cold and snowing," Bunny complained. "Not that I don't mind my feet not freezing but I'd prefer them getting cold than my fur heating up like a sweater in June."

Jack would have rolled his eyes if he weren't too busy with dunking his head in the water. He didn't care if the liquid was infected with bacteria; Jack just wanted to cool off. "Give me a break." Jack said finally after a half-minute of repeated dunking. "Making it snow these days isn't as easy like it was 300 years ago. Blame the Guy in the Sun for that."

Bridget quickly got out of her bored expression and held a look of uneasiness. "There's someone living in the Sun?!"

"Relax, Wisdom Tooth." Tooth consoled the troubled human. "Jack was just kidding." She giggled causally, "There's no man living in the Sun. That would be silly."

Bridget frowned and deadpanned, "And a dude living inside the moon is totally realistic?"

"It is in our world," Jack replied with a lopsided grin.

North sighed loudly before flicking his hands out of the water. "Ve searched every street ve could go and found nothing." He paced gradually and rubbed his face. "There must be something else to do."

"I'm sure everything will be okay, you'll see," Tooth comforted the Guardian of Wonder. She wobbled gracefully with the use of her newly acquired cane to stand near North. "It's only been one day, we can look more later."

"One day," Bunny muttered while resting his feet in the water. He repeated the phrase until his pensive mien turned into one of realization. "One day! That's how long the Leprechaun will be in town!"

All eyes gazed at Bunny. Bridget's eyes soften at the memory of an older comment. "That's right you guys said he would leave on his off season when winter after visiting Dublin."

"Wouldn't his Off-Season by after March?" Jack asked while pulling at his collar, uncomfortable with the heat.

"It's mostly year-around vith him needing to find places to hide from people who come after his gold," North explained. "But vhen veather is cold enough, Leprechaun goes to southern parts of Ireland vhen December spins around."

"Then we don't have much time if it's already December 4th." Tooth declared.

"Uh guys," Jack waved his hand to get everyone's attention. Once he did Jack continued, "It's like, 75 degrees out. I don't think he's leaving anytime soon."

Bunny frowned and crossed his arms. "But you said it yourself, you have no control of the weather right now. It could get cold by tonight."

Jack proud smile turned into a thin line. He turned away with a bow of his head. Bridget gave him a sympathetic look and touched her bracelet. "So," Bridget glanced at the pooka. "Who are were going to look for him. Finding a magical creature has got to be a lot harder than a missing deer."

With a smile Bunny said, "There's only one way I know how to find one and you're going to help."

Bridget raised an eyebrow and pointed to herself. "Me?"

"Well," Bunny stared more directly at the girl's wrist. "Not exactly you."

* * *

If a person was to jog, run, walk, or skip near a secluded area of St. Stephen's Green where a shady field stood most would not have noticed a small glittering object half-buried by some leaves. Nor would they have seen six peculiar looking beings (not unless they really, really believed of course) hiding behind some bushes. As for the odd girl with egg-shaped glasses shaking like a jumping bean might've been spotted if a large bearded man didn't pull her down.

"You must stay hidden," North chastised gently with a waging finger. "Othervise blown vill be our cover be."

Bridget had eyes wider than saucers but said nothing as she continued to tremble. Jack glanced at the redhead then smiled in understanding. "It'll be fine. You'll got your bracelet back."

"Why couldn't we use one of Tooth's coins?" Bridget placed her knees under her chin. "Or put some dreamsand in a bottle and call it gold dust?"

Tooth turned her head toward Bridget and answered, "My coins aren't made out of gold, Wisdom Tooth, we need real gold for this to work. Plus Sandy's dreamsand isn't even made out of metal."

"I know, I know it's magic." Bridget wiggled her fingers in a funny fashion before resting them back on her shins.

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

"All in time, Jack. All in time." North gazed intently at the spot where the torc bracelet was and continued watching with absolute vigilance. The minutes ticked away into a half hour. Each second was a lifetime of hell for Bridget. In all her life she never once took of her trinket, she never even thought of removing it. The gold woven band was more important to her than the best book she ever read. It was all she had left of the possible family she never knew.

An eternity and a half later, something happened. Bunny had rotated North's shift of jewelry staring when he heard a noise with his keen pooka ears. He soon sat really quiet and low to the ground. The others took notice of this and became alert right away. Bunny glanced at them for a moment and motioned to not say anything. The others exchanged glances to silently agree. Bridget swallowed nervously as she started to see movement in the grass.

The sound of someone humming a tune and laughing mischievously was heard. Nightlight saw recently fallen leaves stirring about as though a person was stepping over them. Some of them were also pushed aside like the force of a foot moved them. Strangely enough a flour-leafed clover appeared a second later when the so-called footprint lifted from the ground. The pair of gray eyes never left the tracks as they moved and stopped once they stood where the bracelet rested.

Bridget felt her breathing hitch when she saw the bracelet budge and was lifted off the ground. Her eyes' pupils contracted with each quick breath Bridget took. She heard more laughter and snickering that was in near resonance of each other.

"..Now," Bunny barely let out a whisper as he and the other Guardians became blurs. Bridget had barely anytime to blink when she saw North shove something into a bag and the being inside grew restless and cursed loudly. Her attention toward the bag ended momentarily when a familiar golden bracelet came into her view.

Jack smiled brightly as he dangled the treasured jewelry in front of the girl. Like he had predicted she squealed loudly and happily took the bracelet away. Bridget looked like she was going to embrace him when she paused halfway. Her eyes held a foreign emotion within them and she quietly thanked him before joining the others seconds later. Confusion and rejection infected Jack with a feeling of a painful throb. He covered his hurting with a sharp headshake and faked a smile. The emotionally troubled winter spirit soon joined the others.

Tooth glanced worriedly at Jack and to stole a glance where Bridget stood but said nothing.

Angry jerking and loud grunts could be heard through the bag as North rolled his eyes. "You can stop vith the aggression, Eamon. Ve are not your enemies."

The movement in the bag stopped and a small but grumbling voice clanked out, "Nicholas? What the bloody hell are you trappin' meh for!"

Bridget held a look of puzzlement and blinked twice. That was not the choice of wording she was expecting to hear from someone who was supposedly a friend of the Guardians. The person in the bag, Eamon, continued grumbling under his breath until North cleared his throat.

"I am not alone, Eamon. I am vith other Guardians of Childhood to speak vith you."

"Ohh~ are you?" Sarcasm heavily laced his voice. "I wouldn't have figured it out! Let meh out of here or so help me, you damned-" North loosened his grip and the sack opened unceremoniously. The heap before Bridget was the biggest surprise she had seen so far on that day.

The person before her was short, but was an inch or so taller than Bunny. He wore a reddish-brown coat with copper buttons and black stitching. His pants were sewn in a similar manner. His hat was tattered and brown bearing the appearance of a naval tricon hat. The only things that looked new or handled with care were his shoes. They were made from the finest black leather Bridget had ever seen. It was nicer looking than North's. A square shaped buckle adorned both shoes made of silver metal Bridget could not comprehend.

"Bridget," North articulated. "May I introduce to you, Eamon O'Doherty, the Leprechaun of Ireland."

Just as the Leprechaun got on his feet North quickly clasped his shoulders. "Lemme off," the short man chanted. "Lemme off!"

"Not until you promise not to go, Eamon." North said sternly.

"Fine, fine." Eamon waved his hand, motioning that he would keep his promise.

"Whatever you do keep your eyes on him at all times." Bunny whispered to Bridget and she nodded. "And also watch for yer bracelet, Eamon likes the shinnies if you get what I mean."

"What? You don' trust me?" Eamon placed a hand over his chest in mock pain. "I'm hurt, really I'm hurt." His pointed ears twitched when he saw whom the Easter Bunny talked to. "Agh!" He almost fell if it weren't for North holding into his shoulders. "A human." The Leprechaun cursed in Gaelic. "Don't tell this lass wanted a wish granted and you caught meh for that stupid request."

Bridget frowned and crossed her arms. "If I wanted to catch a leprechaun on my own I wouldn't use my bracelet for it."

Eamon's dark green eyes narrowed. "Oh~ you're an American. That makes everythin' better now doesn't it?"

Bridget's frown deepened but she tried to keep her anger down. "Why don't you mind your own bizzo?" Bunny got between them with his own arms crossed.

"Aww," Eamon chuckled. "Aren' you fluffier than a little lamb, **Edmund **Aster Bunnymund."

"Edmund?" Jack was taken back. Out of all the names for **E**. Aster Bunnymund starting with the letter 'e' that was the last one he had thought of.

A pair of ears dropped down and Bunny flushed. "That was my Father's name."

Bridget's eyes soften grimaced; she would have rather learned his first name under different circumstances. _"This guy is definitely not the happy-go-lucky leprechaun that I was expecting to meet." _Bridget bit her lower lip and sighed. _"How the hell was Sandy friends with him?"_

TIC-TAC! CLICK-CLACK! TIC-TAC! The sound of Eamon's shoes clicked on the ground. Even with such small feet Eamon made a loud impression. It also helped that every step he took four-leafed clovers sprouted after every step he took. "That old gasbag in the sky must've hated me for something if he brought you all together."

The Guardians ignored the 'gasbag' comment and kept their ground. "Ve have no time for Vishy-vashy, Eamon, ve come here to Dublin to ask for help."

"Oh, so that Man in the Moon finally wised up and decided ya needed me for your little group did he?" Eamon smiled unfriendly with yellowed teeth. Tooth almost looked like she was about to vomit or faint but was held up by Nightlight.

"Actually no," Jack cut in and revealed himself. "I took the Guardian spot. No hard feelings right man?"

Eamon's lazy grin turned into a deep frown. "Oh, by the Emerald Isle they really picked you? Out of all the tricksters out there they chose you?"

"Ve don't pick," North said sternly. "Manny is one who makes decision."

"Aye, you've told me that dozens of times by now, North." Eamon motioned with a wave. He pushed North's larger hands with his own and crossed his arms. "Now if showin' me yer **new **Guardian is all the trouble you dragged meh for than I'll be on meh way."

Sandy blocked Eamon's path with his arms spread wide and open and gave his old friend a dour look. "Oh, Sanderson. Don't tell me you still put up with these warts."

Sandy's frown deepened, as he stood stiffer than before. Eamon sighed in defeat. He wiped the bridge of his nose and removed his hat to reveal orange-red hair in a not-so flattering comb over.

"So it has finally come down to this?" Eamon asked in false worry. Seconds later he was tackled to the ground by North and Bunny.

"Why did you do that for?" Bridget arched an eyebrow while tilting her head.

"That's what I'd like to know!" Eamon shouts were muffled through the dogpile.

"You vere trying to escape." North answered. "I saw your hand twitch."

Moments later, once Bunny got off of North and he did the same with Eamon, Sandy came over with the sack from earlier. He handed it over to North who shoved Eamon right into it again with the Leprechaun muttering and letting out a growl.

"Who ever thought the best way to capture a leprechaun was through a bag." Jack leaned casually on his staff and smiled.

"Not just any bag, but my bag." North said with a hint of pride.

"If he could turn invisible and teleport, then why doesn't he do it now?" Bridget asked.

"Ah, my bag is magic." North explained, "Nothing goes in or out vithout my say so."

"Twice in one day I get captured." Eamon grumbled inside the impenetrable bag. "Will this foul cruelty ever end?"

Bunny stood on his hind legs and glowered at the sack. "Once you shut yer trap and let us have our word, it will."

Bridget could hear a deep sigh come from the bag. "Oh~ all right! I won't go. Jus' let meh out of this stuffy deathtrap."

"'Deathtrap?'" North repeated in a hurtful tone.

"Just let him out." Bunny commanded while looking annoyed.

Moments later the bag was opened again and Eamon came rolling out. He cleaned himself up while complaining, "This had better be good. I have a lot to do before leavin' for the south."

"Oh what more golddiging-" "Rimshot," Bridget quietly muttered to Sandy. "Clearly you're very busy with that." Bunny finished while trying to hide a small grin.

Eamon humphed. "I do more than that."

"Like knowing something important about your 'distant' relatives." Jack air quoted.

"What are ye talking about-" "Ve are talking about vhat you might know about the Morr-" "STOP!" Eamon shouted. His voice echoed so loudly that trees in the park rustled.

"Don't say that name if you know what's good for you!" Eamon glared at North and every one of them, his fierce look appearing the strongest at Bridget. "**She **is a goddess of great power. Just speakin' 'er name brings great woe and misery to those dumb enough to utter it."

Bridget frowned; recalling all of the horrible things the Morrígan had done to her and the Guardians so far. Perhaps her name was jinxed or something. _"Oh god, my life really is turning into _Harry Potter. _Great~ don't tell me all of the objects we're looking for are secretly Horcruxes." _

"It doesn't matter because we are trying to stop her." Tooth said. "And we need your help."

"Oh no," Eamon wagged his finger and took a step back. "I am not helpin' you lot with anything. The last thing I want is to get on **'er **bad side. And bein' with you is a bad thing for most Legendaries right now."

"You don't want to get on…**her **bad side?" Jack frowned, musing over what Eamon just said. "Don't tell me you're working for her."

"NO!" Eamon shouted once again. The ground shook violently; ripples appeared in a fountain nearby. "I would never associate meself with the likes of **her**...but I'm not tryin' to say anythin' bad about the Phantom Queen either." He spoke with his tone sounding less harsh and more lighthearted. "No siree, I'm not sayin' anythin' bad at all." Eamon spoke directly to the sky with an innocent smile. The Guardians and Bridget turned to see a small black dot diminishing from their view.

They all held worried looks while turning their attention back to where Eamon stood. "How long have you known about **her **existing?" Tooth clasped her hands together in concern.

Eamon sighed then looked to the ground. "A dark presence was felt for a few months here after Samhain. None of the Fae were smart to figure out who it was before it was too late. Those who escaped were lucky. As for me, not so much." He shrugged insipidly. "That barrier has been up since the end of November. Anyone still remainin' who tried to fight back got trodden."

Tooth gasped in shock.

"I learned from that as long as I minded meh own business and stayed out **her **way then I'd been fine." A whole patch of clovers now surrounded him. None of them would be enough to give the Irish Fae luck in the situation he was in.

A silence fell within the group while they took in Eamon's words. Bridget glanced at the Guardians and saw that most or all of them sported guilty looks. They must have felt responsible for the darkness that the Morrígan had spread across the island. When she looked over at Eamon he was looking at her right hand. Bridget frowned uncomfortably while trying to pull her sleeve in order to cover her bracelet.

"But why didn't you ask for help from us when **she **started to stir?"

The Leprechaun growled. "Do you think we hadn't tried that, Toothiana? All of the Fae tried but couldn't find any of you. All of you too damn busy to help us out and too enwrapped with your problems to ever think of aiding us."

"You know that's not true." North said reasonably with a hand on his hip. The idea of abandoning a mystical being of good virtue wasn't in his nature.

"Oh really?" Eamon placed his hands on his hips. "When was the last time you ever helped anyone besides children and your-bloody-selves? Or better yet how long was since you ever actually spent time with yer fellow Legendaries?"

Bridget bit her lower lip and prayed silently that they would answer him. When she heard nothing a small pang of an unknown feeling rushed inside her.

Eamon nodded, as if he was expecting no response. "I thought so. Clearly I have no reason to help you if ye can't even help the wee people ev'ry once in a while." Whether that last part was a pun or not remained unanswered.

"Hold on," Bunny stepped forward. "Look," he sighed. "We might not have been there for your people but that doesn't mean we don't care. There are a lot of things and people us Guardians have neglected over that past few…centuries-but we're trying to fix that. We may not be perfect but that doesn't mean we can't try and make amends for our mistakes."

Jack held a wistful smile when he heard Bunny mentioning that the Guardians were unable to be there for other Legendaries. He knew the feeling in every sense of the word. Eamon on the other hand wasn't as touched.

"I don't care about promises, I want things done and made do. Since none of you were able to do that I see no other reason-"

"Ve do have reason for speaking vith you." North cut in like a chainsaw in ice. "It's about a vay ve can stop **her **from doing anymore harm."

Eamon's eyebrows rose up in disbelief. "Oh really?"

"Yes," Bunny narrowed his eyes with much seriousness in them. "And it involves help from you."

Before Eamon could speak Jack stood behind the Leprechaun and bend forward with a serious look of his own. "Something about four treasures that belonged to some really old relatives of yours." Jack crossed his arms. "I think **she **was a part of that family too."

Eamon's eyes bugged out as he took a deep breath to calm himself. Did that trickster really say what he thought he said? Eamon's cooper colored eyes flared into a bright gold. The four-leafed clovers started to wilt and scorched into a hideous yellow.

The Leprechaun sighed agitatedly. "Do you know ye are asking from me? Might as well ask that wizard Ombric Shalazar where Atlantis is. It can't be done."

"Um, what do you mean by it can't be done?" Jack crouched down to be near Eamon's level.

"It can't," Eamon, repeated, his eyes shining brightly with deep fury. "I have no idea where any of them are." He wanted to roll his eyes when the Guardians and human gave him surprised expressions. "Oh don't give those looks. I really have no idea where the treasures are. The location of where they are has been lost for ages…literally. My great-great-great-Grandda was in charge of hiding them centuries ago when Her Lady-" he trailed off before Eamon grumbled under his breath. "I don't need to tell anythin.'" He sat on the ground rather childishly with his tiny-but well cobbled-shoes swinging back and forth.

Bunny sighed very audibly and shook his head. "I should've seen this coming."

North's forehead creased as he rattled his brain for an idea. Any idea to fix this whole ordeal. Suddenly Eamon stood erect with his eyes wide open. He clutched his hands and squealed like a madman. Almost sporadically he started hopping around and jumped in the air. Eamon started running toward a random direction with the others trying to catch him. They continued the chase with following Eamon until he stopped abruptly. The Guardians and Bridget almost fell onto of one another when they rammed into a domino-like compression.

Nightlight was in front of the others and was the first to see Eamon kneeling to the ground and him laughing gaily while pinching something in his fingers. Like holding the most precious candy bar in the world Eamon clasped a pair of gold cufflinks. They weren't in the best shape and had several scratches on them, why he made such a fuss over them was anybody's guess.

The little man was so excited that he did an actual Irish Jig. Bridget decided that was the most unbelievable she had seen all day.

"Oh~ I could feel you a mile away!" Eamon spoke to the cufflinks with giddy excitement.

Jack looked at the spectacle with awed confusion while Bridget whispered. "Is it just me or is this guy reminding you of the elves? Only instead of cookies and hot coco, this guy goes after gold."

The winter spirit covered his mouth to hide a chuckle before he turned his attention back to the Leprechaun. The little man giggled and snapped his fingers moments later. In an instant, through a puff of green smoke, a large hollowed-out object materialized from thin air.

"Jus' put these beauties into me pot o' gold…" Eamon didn't finish when a large thud was heard. He turned around to see the Guardians looking speechless. Bridget had somehow dropped her backpack and quickly pushed her hand inside, most of her arm vanishing from the deepness the bag secretly held. She stuck out her tongue in concentration while she still searched around inside. A second later she pulled out her book on ancient gods.

Bridget removed her glasses and flipped the book's pages hurriedly. She exclaimed a happy sound of triumph and pointed at a page. "Yes! Here it is, 'the Cauldron of the Dagda. Whoever drank from it never left unsatisfied from its contents.'" The redhead smiled and each Guardian exchanged this jovial mien as they slowly got out of their surprised states of shock.

Eamon inched closely to his 'pot' and held onto it protectively. North smiled the most widely and rested his hands akimbo. "Eamon O'Doherty. Your first name meant guardian of riches for one thing. And now I-erm, ve all know vhy."

"I don't have any idea what yer talkin' about." Eamon denied unconvincingly.

"Oh, I think you do." Bunny nodded with a smirk.

"And you have something that we kinda need right now." Jack added. "So if you could let us have what we want, we'll get out of your way."

Eamon scowled. "How can you be so sure this is even the damn cauldron you wanted? This is my pot. My clan's had it before I was born."

"I can test it." Bridget offered with a raised finger. She closed her book shut and put her glasses back on. She walked over to the cauldron in a confident stride ignoring Eamon's protests while standing right where the edge of the so-called pot was. The cauldron was made out of a pure stone that colored light gray mixed with dark specks. It was carved with woven knots from Celtic background and long jagged lines engraved to look very similar to Bríde's crosses. The entire tub was filled to the brim with gold. Gold coins, cold nuggets, golden tickets, and gold teeth. Bridget felt that if Tooth were in her place, the fairy would have most likely fainted from the sight.

Bridget took a deep breath and glanced at the sky momentarily, silently praying to the moon that what she had planned would work. "Okay magical cauldron. I want you…to make me…uh…um." She bit her lower lip, undecided over what to…order. "What should I ask it to make, guys?" Bridget turned to the Guardians for help.

"Oh!" Tooth raised her hand eagerly. "Tell the cauldron to make a good fixing of _Khumbh__ Nimbu Ka Ras!_"

"…."

"What? I always enjoyed a good bowl of Khumbh Nimbu on a cold winter's day." Tooth added when her fellow Guardians gave her odd looks.

Bridget turned her head back toward the cauldron. "Okay then, do just that, Dagda's Cauldron…please."

She waited and waited for a sign, a sound, anything to signal that some speck of soup came into sight. The waiting continued while Bridget drummed her fingers on the edge of the stone. She glanced back at where Eamon stood and gulped when she saw him fuming. "Anytime now would be nice."

"Clearly not only are ye wasting my time but your friends as well." Eamon half smiled, earning soft glares from the Guardians.

"Maybe it just needs to warm up," Bridget offered. "You know like putting a fire on and-" Eamon gasped loudly and nearly shoved the girl away. "How dare you! To burn my pot is evil!"

"She was only makin' a suggestion." Bunny said in Bridget's defense while Jack helped her up from her not quite falling.

"I don't care about that." Eamon was beyond furious. "All I want is for you all gone and to get outta my busin-" his words ceased when Eamon felt something make a splat on his clothes. He inspected them and much to his surprise smelled garlic and mushroom mixed with Desi ghee. Three of which are prominent ingredients in a certain Indian vegetable soup.

Bridget almost wanted to laugh at the look Eamon had as he walked toward the cauldron with very small steps that would've been too short for a baby. She and Jack followed the Leprechaun and inched over to the stone cauldron's ledge. Due to the size and stature of his height Eamon had to climb up using one of the cauldron's handles and peered over into the pot. In a similar way a geyser functioned a tiny squirt of colorful soup was spewing upwards near the middle of the cauldron.

Eamon cried out in alarm when he was his gold being messed up by something that wasn't gold. He figured out how to solve the problem by using his finger and shoved it into the hole where the soup was shooting out. The very moment his finger was put inside the hole no more soup disgorged. Eamon smiled in triumph momentarily until a new hole was formed and soup ejected from that one. Bridget and Jack started to have smug looks and figured out where this was going.

The game of finger shoving began for Eamon as he tried covering every newly made hole with as many fingers as he possibly could. Jack started to see the gold shifting around in the cauldron and took a step back and motioned Bridget to do the same.

Like vinegar to baking soda, soup erupted out of the cauldron, shooting out in a huge explosion of literal flavor and food. Bridget and the Guardians got out of the soup's course with Eamon being the unfortunate victim of getting hit full blast. Eamon was covered head to toe in Indian soup. With an enveloped hand he wiped his face from the caked veggies that plastered his face.

"Steinberg," North called out in wonderment. "That vas a lot of soup."

"I think Eamon now knows how a can of soup feels." Jack whispered to Bridget. She smiled weakly and took a step back, confusing the winter spirit once more.

"It appears that we found the first treasure." Tooth declared while tasting some of the delicious soup with her forefinger.

"_That looks really good," _Baby Tooth grinned in excitement. Her sisters nodded in agreement before hurrying out of their bag and climbed to the cauldron's ledge and took several sips from its contents.

Tooth sighed in pleasure from the food and held the happiest of looks that Bunny would have fainted from the sight. Her blissful demeanor was literally pushed away when Eamon forcefully impelled away from the cauldron.

"I don't care if this is the lost treasure from _El Dorado_," Eamon snapped. "I'm not giving this to you."

Jack groaned in growing irritation. He rubbed his face while stating as a matter of fact, "And why not? Clearly the whole _Mt. Ve-soup-ius _happening should be enough proof that it's what we said it was from the start."

"Simple it isn't yours." Eamon smiled smugly while crossing his arms. Everyone groaned this time around.

"Isn't there something we could do for you in order to take it off your hands?" Tooth suggested in her last attempt to sound polite. Even she was ready to blow her top.

Eamon tighten the crossing of his arms even more. "Nuthin' will change my mind. The cauldron has been with my clan for many generations."

"So can you explain the Bríde's crosses on the cauldron?" Bridget thumbed the lined symbols in question.

Eamon look somewhat flustered and muttered incoherently. "How should I know? It always looked like some vandalism made by previous owners." Bridget wanted to roll her eyes at how absurd that sounded. "But if it is what you say it is than what mah Grandda said was true about them."

North leaned near the Leprechaun. "And that vas?"

"None of yer business." Eamon barked back.

"C'mon," Jack objected with a wave of his hand. "There has to be something you want."

That got Eamon's attention. The Leprechaun paused, reflected over the prospect of gaining something for an exchange.

"It can be a trade. I know how you can't resist a good trade." North suggested in an eager manner. "If ve have something you like, and vorth same or more as cauldron, ve give you object of your desire and you give us cauldron in return." Bridget noted that North tried his hardest not to say anything that might remotely affront the shorter man.

After some deliberation, and peach-fuzzed chin scratching, Eamon answered, "Fine. I like a good bargain any day. But it has to be something good."

And so the trading began.

* * *

"No, no, no! None of these are any use to me!" Eamon objected in frustration. Less than five minutes had passed since he allowed for the Guardians to offer anything worth of value to Eamon. So far none of them had the best of luck with his apparent high taste and obscure stubbornness.

"What would I ever need a toy train for?" Eamon spat while chucking the poor toy away. Nightlight caught it in the last second before it could crash into the ground. He handed the miniature locomotive back to North who thanked him greatly.

"How can you not like this?" North opposed while motioning toward the only just discarded toy. "It even has vings to fly in air. Children all over are looking forward to getting it for Christmas."

Bridget's bored demeanor perked up at the mention of the train being able to fly. "Can I have it if he doesn't want it?"

"Better let the mortal have it," Eamon said snarky. "Only someone of a feeble mind would think that's impressive."

The redhead frowned in reaction. "I still think the toy is cool," she said loud enough for the Leprechaun to hear. He wasn't done with his ranting though.

"And offering me teeth?" Eamon scowled at Tooth. "Are you mad, woman? It was bad enough you offered coins that weren't made of gold but you go ahead and shove someone else's molars at mah face?"

"_Like his own teeth are any better," _Bridget thought after seeing how yellowed and greasy looking Eamon's were. _"Humph, he probably doesn't floss either." _

Bunny noticed Tooth's downhearted look and went over to where she sat to comfort her. That damn midget had no right to be so rude to her. Damn his last name! "Don't listen to 'im Tooth." The fairy ceased her unhappy expression and glanced at Bunny. "Okay I'll admit teeth aren't the best bargaining tool for this situation but that's because that bloke doesn't know a good pair of choppers when he sees one." Bunny snickered, "Too busy looking at gold he does."

"I know that now Bunny." Tooth rubbed Bunny's cheek affectionately. "Thank you." She gave him a very heartfelt smile. For some strange reason Bunny crumbled up like a origami frog and hopped off of Tooth's side quicker than a piece of the folded paper. She felt a small pang of dejection in her heart but covered her hurt feelings with a more pleasant expression. No one seemed to have noticed her momentarily change in emotion.

Eamon scoffed loudly in a gripe. "Ye don't have anythin' I want. All of it's plain and dull." He crossed his arms in vexation. "I've wasted my time as it is. I could've gather five more gold pieces if they weren't recovered minutes ago…."

With every word the Irish Fae spoke the Guardians silently took in each verbal stab by way of solemnest. Bridget saw them wincing from the resuming insults and frowned with her teeth gritting. They didn't deserve that jerk's rude trice. The Guardians were better than he was. It displeased her that he didn't like any of the gifts her companions offered. There just had to be-

"Mmmahh." Bridget flinched when she felt something bright shine into her face. She rubbed her eyes to ease the pain. The redhead looked closely to see that her bracelet was the cause of the light with the sun giving it a shimmer. Gradually it dawned to her. Bridget's frown formed into a look of determination. She knew what to do.

"Ye all done in my time as it is. I'm leavi…" Eamon trailed off when he saw something in his vision. The pretty gold bracelet that got him into this trouble in the first place. That last part didn't matter because that trinket was still gold. He took a step foreword by instinct. The shiny was calling to him.

One step. The bracelet was out of his reach again, Eamon scowled. Bridget held her bracelet daintily, but still possessing the trinket hard enough that it wouldn't slip out of the two fingers she held it with. All Eamon could see was the bracelet until Bridget brought it near her body stared down toward the Leprechaun.

"Uh, Bridget?" Jack pocketed his hands while his arm held the crooked cane. "Is there a reason your…"

"Eamon," Bridget spoke directly toward him. "You said you like shiny things right?" She waved her bracelet for emphasis. "This bracelet is made of 24k gold. I've had it since I was a little girl. It has no scratches on it. No dents no damage what so ever." Her gray eyes momentary looked the golden weaved metal contemplatively. She sighed. "I'm willing to give this to you."

The awkward silence was so thick that not even Tooth's wings could slice through it. Bridget's words shocked all of the Guardians. Jack nearly dropped his cane and taken aback. "D-did you just say…?" His blue eyes widen.

Bridget ignored him. "I **will **give this to you, **if **you give us the cauldron in return." She drew a thin line on her face, showing no signs of deception or trickery.

Eamon stared at the redheaded human then the bracelet. He looked unconvinced while pointing an accusing finger at her. "How am I supposed to know that ye won' just nick it in the last second?"

"You have my word." Bridget simply put.

Tooth was dismayed at what Bridget was doing to herself. The fairy could see the small flicker of longing when the girl glanced at her bracelet. "Wisdom Tooth you don't have to-"

"No," Bridget called out, silencing the Guardian with a raise of her hand. "This needs to be done." She puckered a brow briefly. _"He likes gold, not toys or teeth." _With that thought in mind Bridget affirmed herself she was doing the right thing. "I'll give the bracelet to you. In return we get the stone cauldron."

"Just that?" Eamon titled his head in confusion. "None of me gold or-"

"None of it," Bridget vowed. "All we want is that stony old cauldron and you get to keep all of you lovely gold and this gorgeous bracelet is all yours." She flaunted the torc treasure over Eamon's head. He literally salivated, making Bridget's face screw up in contort. She quickly recovered and asked, "Do we have a deal?"

"Uh-huh," Eamon chanted excitedly, trying to catch the bracelet while jumping. The whole scene would have been funny in a different setting. In the last second Bridget snatched it away and detained a serious look. "But you're going to give us **that **cauldron-" she pointed at Dagda's Cauldron with her free hand. "And not some lookalike."

"I won't," Eamon promised offhandedly. He tried once more to grab the bracelet but Bridget gently slapped his hand.

"Good reflexes," Bunny whispered to North. The taller Guardian shrugged, still torn over what Bridget was doing for them. To think she was willing to give up her most prized possession for their sake.

"I mean it." Gray eyes bore into dark green. "The stone cauldron stays, but you can keep your gold and this bracelet."

"So you're saying you don't want the gold?" Eamon asked dumbly. Bridget tried very hard not to facepalm herself after hearing that ridiculous comment.

She slowly brought out her hand again; this time she had the jewelry open and easy for Eamon to acquire. "I'm going to ask you again; do we have a deal?"

Another silence fell within the area those eight beings stood in. Eamon puzzled and puzzled while looking down at the bracelet in Bridget's palm. She bit her lower lip in anticipation; a small bead of sweat fell on her brow. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of collective breathing and Eamon emitting the occasional murmur. Bridget kept her face as expressionless as possible when Eamon swiped the bracelet off of her hand eventfully.

"Oh~ what a beaut this one is!" Eamon called to no one as he cackled in excitement. "Ya-hoo and it's all mine." The blank demeanor Bridget had on her face slowly crumbled into a small frown, her lower lip threatening to tremble.

Jack glared angrily at the Leprechaun's back and shouted, "Don't forget your part of the deal!"

Eamon ceased celebrating long enough to wave off Jack's intimidation. "Aye, I heard the lass. 'Give up me the pot for the gold' I gotcha." With a snap of his fingers the entire cauldron vanished with a puff of smoke. One moment later it appeared in the exact same spot as before only with its depth being completely vacant. Nightlight rubbed his hand inside and took it out after a moment probing. His glowing eyes gleamed in astonishment. Not even a speck of gold dust was inside.

"Check if it really is the one," Bridget stood behind the spectral boy, her bangs covering her eyes.

Nightlight pondered over too long that Jack went over to the cauldron and asked it to create a tomato soup ("It was the first thing that came to my head," Jack would defend later). Moments later a red liquid started to fill up inside the cauldron like a overflowing sink and then reached to the top. Jack tested out the soup with a finger placed inside and nearly winced from the lukewarm temperature. Even when something is mildly warm it still gives Jack a slight discomfort.

"Nothing dodgy about that one," Bunny nodded in finalization.

"It appears you've given your vord O'Doh-" North hushed after he turned to see nothing but thin air before him. Eamon O'Doherty was nowhere around. He had vanished. A slight breeze shifted and a piece of paper flitted around in the air. North exchanged glances from his fellow Guardians before he caught the parchment. He squinted his eyes, reading over the note before interpreting it.

"'This vas not so much of a time waster,'" North read each syllable carefully, finding Eamon's handwriting practically illegible. "'Getting gold makes good trade. Don't expect me to help in future. **She **vill have my head if I tried. And yours too. GOOD LUCK!'"

An awkward moment passed until North laughed heartily. "I think my Irish accent needs vork but I think I got most of it down if you saw…" he trailed off when he saw the others crowding near Bridget. "Oh." He slowly remembered why the letter was even given out in the first place.

"Bridget," Tooth placed a hand under the girl's shoulder to get her attention. "What you did back there was very kind of you. We would have never asked you to do that for us." The redhead lifted her head revealing a blank look. No tears or signs of sorrow were present. Still, it nearly broke everyone's heart to see her in that state. Tooth swallowed a harsh lump in her throat before continuing. "I don't think we'll be able to thank enough for what you've done."

Bridget opened her mouth but closed it shut. Only her eyes held some waver of emotion. "Can…can I just be alone for a little. I won't run off." She shrugged. "It's not like I have anywhere to go anyways." She added coolly. When she noticed their uneasiness to leave her, Bridget smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine. I'll just go over…that way." She randomly pointed at some direction and walked toward it. Bridget stepped over to where the sidewalk was and started to walk on its path, leaving the others to ponder their thoughts.

"Why does this feel like it's happened before?" Bunny deadpanned. He remembered the last time Bridget had made herself absent in the Globe room days before.

"We should've let me freeze that jerk and take the cauldron and get out of here." Jack griped. He tapped ice onto a tree to vent out his anger.

"That vould not help us in long run," North said before pondering, "Though it does sound tempting."

"Jack, North," Tooth rolled her eyes. "That's not what we do. Now I'll admit Eamon wasn't in the best of moods but that doesn't mean we should mistreat him. It would makes us no better than the Morrígan."

Bunny sighed in exasperation. He hopped around while expressing his presentiment. "We need to figure out how to get the other treasures. Obviously getting the cauldron from Eamon was easier said than done."

"Vill that mean getting treasures from other places vill be hard too?"

"I don't know, North." Bunny lowered his eyes to the ground, rattling his brain for some better answer. By the Moon, he used to be a super-genius until that dumb choice of digesting chocolate.

Tooth rested near a tree while glancing at the cauldron. "I only hope we don't need to give up more valuables in order to collect the treasures." Her mind trailed back to her ruby teeth chest. Tooth squirmed uncomfortably. "But I have a feeling things might not get easier for us."

"When has anything ever been easy for us?" Bunny replied with a hint of amusement.

North chuckled heartily. "Good point. Even vith possible struggles in future ve cannot let vhat might happen make us vorry. Ve must figure out vhere other treasures are."

An awkward silence followed. Bunny scratched his ears in thought. He soon said, "Finding the Stone of Fál, she'll be apples for sure." He smirked. "The bloody rock is already easy to find after all…though finding the spear and sword won't be as easy." The pooka's expression downcasted from that thought.

"A sword and spear wouldn't have survived one thousand years, let along five," Tooth mulled. "It will indeed be trickier for sure, Bunny."

"Give us break, Toothy." North said happily. "Ve done more impossible things in past have ve not? It'll be piece of pie to find-Sandy vhat are you…vhere is Jack?"

Sanderson sighed in relief when he finally got North's attention, the former Cossack really needed to learn to look under his boot. He needed to North to notice him when he saw that Jack had left. Everyone turned to see that the winter spirit was certainly missing.

"Where could he have gone off to?" Tooth said while glancing down the pathway to one end and the other.

"Mates," the pooka called out. "I think Nightlight and me found something odd on the cauldron. True to their (or Bunny's) word there was a thin layer of frost on the cauldron, a very odd thing indeed. The ice was evanescing with the warm air but the message was clear enough for them all to read.

Got bored, went to find Bridget

~Jack

Bunny stared at the note with a blank face; he was so expecting Jack to do something like this. "At least through his bluntness, he was being honest."

* * *

With the quickness of a rabbit (no pun intended) Jack skipped over a sharp rock he nearly stepped on and continued his quick pace. The winter spirit so far had not seen a redhead with plaid pants anywhere. Oddly enough he didn't see that many gingers in Ireland despite the overused stereotype being heavily referenced back in his native land. Then again most people in other countries all thought Americans were perfect blondes with blue eyes. Clearly the world needed to look beyond the standard media.

Jack shook his head he needed to focus. It didn't help that he had been walking for twenty minutes, passing rectangular field after rectangular field. Twelve people had the pleasure of phasing through Jack giving him the uncomfortable sensation all over again. It really didn't settle well with his stomach.

He **really **needed to find Bridget now.

All he wanted was someone to give him attention. Call him shallow or selfish but try telling that to a guy that had no way of communication with another human being in three hundred years. Jack hated it to admit it but he was sort of depending a lot on Bridget lately. First it had to do with her being the first teenager he ever talked to, period. Second was the whole 'Chosen One' thing going on for her and feeling she could do something to save the kids of the world, and that brought up another one.

The last factor being that Jamie, Sophie, and the rest of the Burgess children were being taken away from their home. So far they were literally the only kids Jack knew believed in him. Of course it was before he knew about Santoff Claussen, but that's beside the point. With them gone and no one else to talk to, Bridget seemed like a temporary alternative. It sounded insensitive for Jack to think of her like that but it was the only one that didn't get his emotions all mixed up.

Almost every time he spent with her ended up with one of them gaining a flushed face. Seeing her face red was, admittingly, cute but when he did it, it made him want to hide in a snowbank and stay there until Spring. Oh MiM, he was in trouble. Why couldn't life been easier and no crazy crow lady had to swoop in and abduct children? If Jack had his way he'd be making snowforts with Jamie, create ultimate sled runs, and possibly get to know Bridget better. _"Stop it," _Jack ordered his thoughts. _"Can't keep thinking stuff like that." _

It was no use; his mind got to wander off on the idea of spending time with the redhead. Jack could've sworn his thoughts didn't trailer back to Bridget this much in the past. Only did they become more frequent after that moment back on the Nightmare Ship- "_Oh great," _sarcasm heavy in Jack's mind. _"I had to go back thinking to that…" _

Jack sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that stroll. It annoyed him greatly that he actually….kis-place a-planted his lips-Jack scowled. Even when he was trying to forget about it the kiss kept coming back to his mind. The whole kissing Bridget's forehead-thing was reserved into an exclusive part in Jack's mind apparently. Remembering how soft her skin felt made Jack's heart pound.

Never had he recollected anyone affecting him like the way Bridget did. Even in the old life he had, as a colonist Sheppard Jack never knew a girl like her. She was far from perfect but she was still an amazing person. The way she reacted toward new things was fun to watch. Not in a 'ha-ha' sort of way, but the kind of 'I never thought someone would like such a commonplace thing'. It made Jack realize that he did take a lot of things, most people who could see, for granted. Bridget never knew what it was like to see until a week ago and she reveled in that experience like a kid meeting a Guardian. Which was another admirable thing about her.

Bridget showed so much awe and respect for the Guardians and yet treated them like old friends. Jack could count with less than one hand of the times Bridget openly gushed over the Guardians. The time when she fainted after meeting them altogether and when she finally got to see them for the first time. The occasions where she called Sandy awesome did not count since Jack, Bunny, and North had been competing over who could take his spot as the 'Most Awseomest Guardian. Ever.' How Bridget interacted with them all was amazing, Jack had thought. He really wished there was something he could do.

Being a friend or…probably, possibly, maybe something **else **Jack did feel that he should at least go to her and comfort her in anyway feasible. Even if it seemed like she was purposely avoiding him lately. Jack sighed, he really needed to focus on finding Bridget, and why she was behaving odd to him didn't need to matter. He needed to find her.

So far though, Jack still had no luck in finding Bridget.

While standing on a rock and a hand in his pocket Jack sighed tiredly. "This is getting me nowhere." Suddenly he heard the faint sound of birds. Ducks to be precise, as he saw a few flying overhead. He followed the waterfowl and saw them land in a lake.

The lake was fairly large with plenty of space for all kinds of birds to swim in. There was an artificial waterfall feeding in water for the lake in one side while near the other was a nice looking gazebo. With trees surrounding the area like a protective embrace and the time of day, made the whole scene look safe and perfect for someone to sit and think. Jack scanned around, hopping to see a familiar redhead. He smiled in relief when he spotted a tuft of red inside the gazebo near the water. His pace quickened then slowed down once he arrived at the small building.

Jack found Bridget sitting near on of the gazebo's sides. She had a far off look while staring into the lake. She held something clasped in her hands but because it was dark inside Jack couldn't see what it was. He stepped inside cautiously with each step he took. Jack winced when a floorboard creaked under him.

"You don't have to be quiet," Bridget called out, never turning her head. "I saw you coming out of the trees from where I sat."

Well at least she acknowledged Jack's presence but it didn't look like she was going to talk anytime again. Jack scraped his brain for something to say and decided trying to humor the girl should work. "Did you know the moment Eamon got splashed by the soup I took a snapshot of it?" He flashed a grin, hoping it would contagious.

Bridget remained silent; no movement was made.

Jack pursed his lips and eyed the girl. "Seriously, not even a chuckle? Well the least you can do is smile knowing that I was able to swipe of photo of Mini-Bunny while he was frowning earlier. Just imagine the blackmail we can use for that." He originally meant it as a joke but Jack couldn't help but think of the leverage he got from the picture now.

"_Snowy Easter Sundays for the next fifty years, yeah." _Jack smirked, liking the thought more and more.

Much to his surprise Bridget did crack a small grin. "I don't think Ed would like that."

"'Ed'…oh right Bunny's first name." Jack laughed. "You know I came up with a million names for that rabbit and I never thought of that one."

"It was either that one or Earnest for me." Bridget glanced at the object in her hand before sighing wistfully.

While shaking his head Jack slumped down to the opposite side of where Bridget sat. The two of them sat quietly before Bridget spoke up. "Did you know that this park has a garden for the blind?"

Jack shook his head again, this time for honesty instead of humor. "No."

"Well they do," Bridget tried to smile only for it to turn into a grimace. "I heard some people talk about it while walking up here. The park is full of scented plants. All of them are strong enough to hold up to handling. And before you ask yes the flowers' signs are labeled in Braille."

"Nice of them to make a park like that." Jack said while removing clumps of dirt from the bottom of his staff. He hated it when he had to get rid of any filth from the cane.

"It is." Bridget nodded. She looked at her clutch hand again. "Too bad for me I probably don't need to go there anymore."

"Doesn't mean you should go there." Jack countered. "I'm people who aren't blind are allowed to go in that part of the park too."

"I still am blind," Bridget replied. When she saw Jack's surprised look "North and Bunny said I could see when I'm **wearing **the glasses. I still can't see if they're off."

"Maybe you can get your eyes fix when you…" Jack's voice trailed off. _"When you get back." _Jack mentally slapped himself. How was she going to be able to do that? Bridget didn't have the money to get an operation; she only had the money in her back pocket and a backpack full of books and random supplies.

Bridget laughed bitterly. "I can't get my eyes fixed, Jack. I wouldn't have enough money to scrape for surgical treatment. Brad told me that hundreds of times."

"Yeah I kinda figured that out right away," Jack, scratched the back of his head. Bridget looked at her palm again leading Jack to ask, "What's so interesting about your hand?"

Without a word Bridget handed over a small piece of what looked like paper to Jack. Much to surprise it wasn't any old piece of paper. It wasn't even paper, but a photo. Inside the picture showed Jamie with Sophie and their mom. Their greyhound, Abby was also in the image with her licking a surprised Jamie's face. She must've jumped into the photo in the last second.

"It's the picture that Carol gave me to show to…'responsible adults,' as she put it, in case I got lost in Burgess. Not sure that would be much help in another country. Probably just as implausible as finding your long-lost family with a golden trinket."

"_So now she brought it up." _Jack adjusted himself so he was sitting up straight. "I'm sorry about your bracelet."

Bridget shrugged, trying to hide the mixed emotions she had within. "It wasn't anything special, just some old golden piece of jewelry. Heck, I didn't even know it had a proper name until a few days ago. A torc," Bridget shook her head. "How was I supposed to know that torc was its name?"

"You didn't," Jack replied. "You knew that it was important to you and that was the important thing you needed to know."

"I still wished I did knew more." Bridget scowled in frustration. "Why can't I remember where I came from? All my life I haven't been able to figure that out. The only clue I had was that bracelet." Her eyes started to get wet. "And now it's gone. I have nothing left for me to figure out my past."

Hearing that whole declaim made Jack almost shed some tears as well. He knew very well what Bridget was discoursing about. He knew that feeling much too well. The way she sounded so heartbroken was awful to listen to. The winter spirit wished there was something he could say to her. His mind soon trailed back to when he gave up his staff to Pitch in order to save Baby Tooth from the boogeyman strangling her.

Giving up his staff really wasn't the best move when Pitch broke it in half, leaving Jack apparently powerless and unable to fly after being pushed in a canyon moments later. Again not a great move on Jack's part, but at least Baby Tooth wasn't killed by Pitch. In the end though he realized that he had the magic inside with himself when he fixed the staff with his own power. Of course he still used the staff just like before but it was mostly out of habit. Sometimes Jack did practice making snow and ice without it. The first time he was successful was when he made frosted images of the Easter egg and bunny rabbit on Jamie's window. That memory brought a smile to Jack's face unknowingly.

Bridget arched an eyebrow in confusion as to what Jack was thinking about. She hoped he wasn't thinking about one of the many times she acted foolish around him. The redhead, usually, didn't mind when people talked behind her back that was high school in a nutshell she was use to it. But when it came to people like her childhood heroes and to a lesser extant Jack Frost she was a little more self-conscious, especially with all of those very, **VERY** embarrassing moments that kept happening between them. The moment where Bridget had sworn she felt Jack …peck her forehead came into mind. It had plagued her thoughts for a while she really didn't know what to think about.

A part of her was scared that Jack may possibly, most likely, sort of l-word her was frightening. The other part was that if she had the faintest desire (which she didn't, Bridget had affirmed herself) to reciprocate those…feelings it would lead to terrible disaster. Disaster, because of several things Bridget had said in a very detailed list as to why that kind of relationship couldn't work. So far the biggest concern was the most recent discovery on her part.

Jack still held feelings for someone else.

Bridget mentally sighed. She really wished her life was just regular complicated and not the kind she only read in books.

"I think I understand what you're going about."

"Wha…?" Bridget eyed Jack curiously.

"About giving up you bracelet," Jack dropped his shoulders. "I know the feeling. I had to give up my staff when a friend of mine was in danger. It was either their life or my staff."

"You were willing to give up the only thing that helped you make winter?" Bridget frowned in disbelief. "I'm not sure how to comment on that to be honest."

"I'm kind of glad you don't. Makes it easier for me to admit that after getting it back it made realize that I really didn't need it." Jack glanced at the cane and eyed the jagged lines that displayed the sides where the staff was broken in half. "Sure I still needed to fly with it and stuff but when the staff got broken I was able to fix it on my own." He chuckled sheepishly. "Though it did take me a few tries to heal it up though. It was the first time the staff needed me. The whole situation made me feel dependable on myself instead of something I thought I always needed." His blue eyes stared into Bridget. "The thing is I learned to rely on myself when I was at my lowest point, even if I did have a little help." A faint blush appeared on his features.

"I also learned after that point I started to see I could rely on others when I was at my weakest. That they could be there for me and help me out." Bridget sighed at Jack's words. He eyed her in confusion before she spoke.

"But that's just it. You have others to be there for you. I don't. I've always needed to rely on myself in order to stay strong. No one else has been there for me. I had to be the one to take the initiative."

"Then take it now." Jack stood up leading an unexpected Bridget up to her feet. "You have the choice to take that step. You shouldn't let some setback stop you."

"I gave up the only thing I-"

"You said it yourself," Jack cut her off, earning a scowl from the fuming redhead. He waved it off and continued, "'It's just a golden trinket' it doesn't make you the person you are now. You didn't know what it looked like, let alone it's name until a week ago, right?" His eyes became soft. "I'm not saying to stop feeling sad for losing something obviously meant a lot to you, but all I'm saying is that you shouldn't let if get you down. It almost got me down when I lost my staff-"

"But that was before you found out you didn't need it and could rely on actual people." Bridget finished in a bored tone. She was starting to get the point.

"Exactly," Jack grinned, deciding to ignore her attitude. His thumb rubbed over Bridget's hand as he held a soft look. "Try to remember you do have others there for you now. The Guardians and I, we're you friends now." Their faces were almost seven inches apart. "You don't have to feel alone. We've all had to give up something in our lives too."

Slowly Bridget felt her cold heart melt from hearing that proclamation. "You're all together, being orphans in some way or another. It makes you a family." She smiled wistfully. _"Heh, even magical people are able to get one and I can't…okay that sounded super selfish. Almost as bad when I thought Jack was probably…." _Her thoughts went away when Bridget started to notice something through her glasses. She could see Jack leaning in with his eyes half lidded.

Bridget felt her brain melt and her heart becoming solidified again. Her mind was divided into two warring forces once more as well. One side was saying _DO IT! Kiss that sexy/ironically hot guy like mad, woman. _The other side was less reasonable. _Push that sonnoabitch away. Don't let him manhandle you just 'cuz he's a man! This two-timer needs to remember why he is a two-timer in the first place "God, I really have problems." _Slowly Bridget decided one side needed to win, even if it was so unlike her normal personality.

For a millisecond Jack had no idea what he was doing. All he knew was that the way Bridget smiled with one side of her dimple higher than the other, and the notorious apple and cinnamon scent in her hair. Whether that was shampoo or not Jack had no idea, but at the moment he didn't seem to care. He was too busy letting his instincts control his logic right now.

"WE SHOULD GO BACK NOW!" Bridget accidently yelled into Jack's ear, temporally causing him to go deaf momentarily. The sound was so loud that it even unsettled a few ducks. The poor waterfowl ended up flying off into random directions.

Jack covered his ears momentarily while Bridget tried to recover herself. "The others must be worried sick of us by now. I wouldn't want to get them all more worried than they might be now."

The winter spirit frowned slightly hiding the hurt feeling he had inside. "Yeah right," he spoke softly. "We gotta go."

Bridget smiled painfully. _"Yep, it was my sad case of hormones becoming infectious enough that it's effecting Jack now." _

The usual awkward silence soon followed. The two of them left the gazebo, seeing that the sky was now threatening to fall into twilight.

"_I guess I walked around aimlessly a lot longer than I thought." _Bridget thought while placing her hands in her pockets. She nearly jolted in surprise when she felt something wet only to realize it was Sal inside one of the pockets. Mucus-y little thing, he was lazing in there the whole time. Bridget was finding his laziness something to worry about. She really needed to figure out the proper diet for a salamander was.

"_Ignore Bunny's advice, I said. Forget about taking things easy, I said." _Jack was very close to finding the nearest tree and whack his head into it until either he or the tree broke in two. He just had to ignore Bunny's teachings (Oh MiM, Jack couldn't believe he thought of that) and tried to be so, so straight forward.

If the others saw him, Bunny would definitely not be pleased. Tooth would either faint or inspect his and Bridget's teeth incase they were changed from the almost kiss. Sandy might have a smug look or give Jack the ultimate frown of disappointment. Nightlight might be indifferent, seeing how Jack still didn't know that much about him yet to know the spectral boy's exact feelings. Which of course brought Jack to remember his complete feelings weren't all that sorted out either.

He mostly acted on impulse back at the gazebo. Jack berated to himself. It wasn't right to put Bridget into that situation. She probably didn't feel the same way for all he knew. Until he knew for certain of that and his own feelings Jack decided that he needed to take the whole thing in a small stride. Smaller than every step Eamon took. He nearly smiled in amusement from that thought.

"_So would giving him bugs be good?" _Bridget continued pondering. _"Or would something less…hearty suffice? Maybe when I get back with the others I can find out if there's something in one of the books about sala-" _Bridget's thoughts were quashed when the wind picked up and something blew into her face, covering it up like a sheet.

"Oh now there's wind," Jack moaned in annoyance. He tried to conceal his snickering to a minimum when he saw a newspaper covering Bridget's face.

"If you take your camera out, I'll be forced to tell Bunny the picture you took of him." Bridget warned in a threatening tone.

Jack frowned and shoved the camera back into his pocket. "You're no fun."

Bridget laughed drakly while removing the paper off of her. "Tell me something I don't know." Out of impulse Bridget glanced at the news articles after whipping the paper back to its original shape. Her eyes widened when she read something.

"You might want to read this one article, Jack." Bridget handed the parchment over to Jack. While he was still a little put off by the way Bridget acted earlier he decided downright ignoring her wouldn't work out well. Jack looked over the paper until he found the one that Bridget had pointed to him.

"'Parade for tomorrow will see clear night sky?'" Jack eyed the editorial in confusion.

Bridget looked to the ground and sighed. "The one next to it." She wasn't really sure about looking him in the eye anymore.

Jack looked over the paper again, this time with him actually reading the right article. It mentioned something about the _Trinity College Library _being given a loan from the _National Museum of Ireland –Archeology_ branch. It showed of how some students majoring archeology accidently discovered two weapons from over 3,000 years, some stuff about the objects being examined, blah, blah, blah, something about them being a sword and spear, where it's going to be-wait! Jack looked over the line before and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Do you get what I mean?" Bridget smiled, not at all trying to hold back her excitement.

Jack nodded eagerly while rereading the page. "Yeah I do. We've got to show this to the others."

* * *

North panted loudly while taking huge deep breaths. "I'm never running like that again. If I do try to, someone slap me." He and the remaining Guardians returned to their spot in the park. After Jack left, Tooth suggested they should go follow him just in case he and Bridget were safe. The last thing they wanted was another monster attacking the two again.

"It was a close call that's for sure." Bunny rested near a tree. "I could've sworn they saw us when we ran back here."

Sandy swiped his forehead while Nightlight rested near a tree. Tooth remained quiet while sitting at a rock. She was at a loss of words. The fairy was looking forward to seeing a lovely moment between the two teenagers. Instead Bridget pushed Jack away like and adverted her gaze from him like he was a rotten tooth. It was nothing like Tooth imagined. She was expecting something much sweeter; the whole scene Bridget and Jack were in was so ideal. The crystalline lake with the setting sun gave the setting a gorgeous form and all of the other accompaniments made everything look stunning. The only thing missing was of course very thing that made the moment perfect.

Call her fashioned but Tooth was a sucker for romantic moments. Probably because it reminded her of how her parents acted around each other when they thought they were alone and Tooth didn't watch. She wasn't like normal children who would run away at the mere sight of 'cooties' but found the moments of love between two people. Of course she never watched her parents don anything…improper, her parents simply embraced and kissed one another. It was because of that Tooth always held the belief that if two people held a strong bond with each other and clearly had feelings for one another they should be together.

So when she saw how Bridget reacted to the situation earlier it nearly broke Tooth's heart. She was hoping for something to happen between the Guardian of Fun and the human girl but obviously that wasn't the case. All she wanted was to see them happy, was that too much to ask from the universe.

Bunny looked over to see Tooth sitting by herself. With the exception of Baby Tooth the rest of the Mini-fairies stayed behind with the cauldron. Most of them wanted to try out other South East Asian liquid dishes. Baby Tooth stood on her mother's shoulder giving her the occasional comforting tweet. Bunny was able to decipher that Tooth was still upset over what she saw beforehand.

"You alright there Tooth?"

The fairy raised her head and nodded sullenly. Bunny shook his head. "No you're not." He hopped over to where Tooth sat and asked. "Tell me what's wrong."

Tooth sighed. "I'm just disappointed at the turn of events back at the lake." She frowned considerably, resting her chin in deep thought. "I was really hoping that something…more could've happened. It 's just drives me crazy when I see two people who obviously have something special between them and yet their too afraid to openly express how they feel toward one another." She motioned with her hands for emphasis.

After a few minutes of silence Bunny said softly, "I think I know what you mean. I would just say to let things be and have fate deal with it. Obviously that's not working. Something needs to be down but I don't think our interference will make things better. We're going to have to let Jack and the Big Ankle-biter work out their feelings on their own time."

"But I can't help but think Bridget is purposely trying not to let anything grow," Tooth widened her eyes at awareness of how harsh that might have sounded. She quickly corrected herself. "Not that I'm trying to accuse her or anything but I just feel like she is trying to hold herself back."

Before Bunny could reply the five Guardians soon heard the sound of gravel being crunched in the ground and feet crushing against it. Jack and Bridget could be seen running down on the path and slowed down once they reached the spot where the others were. Bridget was nearly out of breath while she held a newspaper in her hands. Jack was in a similar stance with his staff clutched to his hands.

"You-" the redhead took a mouthful of air. "Won't-" and another. "Believe-" another gasp. "What-" once more. "Boy, I seriously need to start working out more." She took one last huge gulp of air. "Okay now I'm good."

The Guardians held back their giggles. Bridget was just too amusing sometimes. "What I was trying to say was that. Well you need to look at this." Bridget handed them the paper for them to read.

"It said that students at the Trinity College here in Dublin found something a few days ago." Jack explained after recovering quicker than Bridget.

"The picture next to it showed that a stone box was dug up at a archeology site up north." Bridget explained. "The Trinity students found it while helping professional excavators."

North rose his eyebrows in astonishment when he saw the photograph. A stone rectangular box could be seen with Celtic symbols surrounding its sides. The contents inside the box were the real surprise though. Inside the box was a sword and spear. The sword was sharpened into a polished silver color and the spear's shaft was carved with fancy woven designs. On the hilt of the sword and the spear's tip were two identical emeralds. And the weapons were in such great condition looked as though they were put into that box only a day ago.

"Do you think those might be…" Tooth could barely hide her excitement.

"It does look like the weapons the Celts used." Bunny mused. "I should know since I remember them back in the days of the Roman Empire. Brave people they were; the Celts were."

North hummed while stroking his beard with his free hand. He looked up, his eyes staring into Bridget's. "How did you find this."

"It kind of flew into her face." Jack muttered, he scratched the nape of his neck awkwardly.

Bridget nodded, her eyes not looking at anything. Tooth and Bunny exchanged looks. Bunny adverted his gaze when Tooth glanced at him.

"I," Bridget stuttered. "I found the paper and the top article showed the picture. I know it's pretty indistinguishable and the odds of those weapons being the other two treasures are a stretch. But I can't help but have a feeling they might be. Plus it's not like we have any other leads."

North ceased stroking his beard and looked directly at the others. "If vhat Bridget says is true you do know vhat that means."

Tooth nodded. "Looks like we'll have to do tour of the library. The article did say they are keeping to two objects on display in the library before they are sent permanently to the museum."

"How long is the library open?" Bunny asked aloud, hoping someone knew the answer to that.

North grunted tiredly. "Let us not dvell on that shall ve? Tooth, how long do ve have until veapons are said to be sent back to museum?"

Tooth read a few lines before answering, "Until tomorrow afternoon."

"That really doesn't give us much time." Jack said in a concern tone. They really needed to get those two treasures before it was too late.

"We could just wait until the weapons are at the museum." Bridget speculated. "We could just sneak in and grab them without anyone looking."

All eyes stared at her now. Bridget bit her lower lip and turned her head away. "I never said I approve of thieving, I still don't, but I can't see any other way to get the treasures."

"It's not that," Tooth replied. "It's just, the article said that the weapons will be placed in the archives inside the museum. Meaning it'll be a lot harder to go in than in the library. We can't afford to wait until tomorrow to get the weapons."

"Oh," Bridget frowned in embarrassment. "I knew that."

"But how ve go into museum vill be tricky part." North said. "Ve need to think this over vhile go to College of Trinity tonight.

Bridget's pupils shrunk two times their normal size. "Tonight? Are you serious?"

"Am I ever not serious?" North chuckled. "Ve must get the treasures, yes?"

Bridget shrugged. "Yeah but how can we figure out how to-" "Sheila," Bunny interrupted. "You're not giving us enough credit. I'm a master of egg hiding. Inside and out of a house."

"And the teeth collecting I do allows me to sneak into houses without anyone's notice." Tooth said affirmatively.

"And let's not forget my great record of entering and breaking of homes too." North laughed so loudly that the trees above him shook. "Trust us Bridget vhen ve say ve can do it, ve can do it."

Seeing their pleased expressions and determination Bridget couldn't help the small smile forming on her face. "I guess we don't really have no other choice."

* * *

The Trinity University of Dublin is a prestigious school for higher learning. Its library is no exception. The _Old Library _at Trinity is home to the famous _Book of Kells _along with the recently discovered preserved spear and sword. All of the students and professors were eager to have at least one glimpse of the artifacts before they were to leave for the museum. The university made an agreement with the museum that until the archives were properly set up for the weapons they were allowed to stay at Trinity until it was time.

The Old Library was the perfect spot for the sword and spear to stay overnight. Like its name stated it was the old part of the library and the most secure. With it being in the dab center of the college it would be a challenge to penetrate. No one could get inside to steal the important relics.

On the south side of _Library Square _the entrance of the Old Library was there. Two security guards were currently present at the front. One was inside by the doors while the other was right outside. The security guard inside was busy looking at the monitor until he saw his co-worker falling to his face. Malcolm Devlin was a man with no insomniac tendencies so it surprised Derek O'Connor greatly seeing Malcolm falling. He held his taser gun at the ready and quickly went through the doors.

"Mal," Derek called out. "Mal!" He ran over to where Mal was and kneeled down near the fallen man. Much to his amazement Derek saw that Mal wasn't harmed in any way at all. He was snoring up a storm and sleeping soundly.

Derek scratched the back of his head in confusion. "What the dev-" the man was silent when golden dust touched his face. In a matter of milliseconds, Trinity security guard Derek was out like a light.

"That was easy," Jack smiled in amusement. He wiped his pants of the leftover dreamsand before making a sharp whistle. Behind a corner the remaining Guardians came out hurriedly walked toward the library. North was the first to greet Jack while he placed a large sack near them. Bridget poked her head out and sighed in relief when she saw the unconscious guards.

"Good," Bridget whispered while crawling out of the bag. "These guys are knocked out like the ones up front."

"It vas easy to sneak after that," North smiled. "Hiding you inside sack to make you invisible vas effortless as vell."

"I'm just glad we didn't have to get messy," Tooth added with a grin. "I just hope none of these men will get in trouble for 'sleeping on the job' if you will."

Bunny joined the others a minute earlier and chuckled. "I think the Boys here might get scolded for something bigger than snozin' while at work."

"So," North clapped his hands to get everyone's undivided attention. "Do ve remember our spots for the _Mission: Unbelievable?_"

"Ugh," Bridget facepalmed. "I only said it one time North, one time!"

"I like name." North replied naively.

Bridget groaned.

"Sandy Will go in first with the keys from the guard." Bunny understood. "He'll knock-out any stragglers inside the place and let me, North, Nightlight and Jack in."

"Ve'll search directory for veapons being place and go to that location." North adjoined notably.

"And you will take Baby Tooth with you while I'll stay outside with Bridget." Tooth nodded, while the brave Mini-fairy fluttered her wings with a strong purpose. "I'll speak to her telepathically and have her alert you if we see any potential danger coming into the building."

"Huh," Bridget mumbled until she held a look of realization. "You meant, Baby-never mind."

Tooth arched an eyebrow and glanced at the girl. Jack was still quiet and said nothing. The fairy sighed. "So ve know vhere our spots are?" North asked with a raised brow, he didn't want any mistakes for this mission.

"Yes." Yeah…" The 'yes'' came from Bunny and Tooth while the less enthusiastic 'yeahs'' came from Bridget and Jack. They still didn't look at each other.

"Good," North was smiling, meaning he wasn't paying attention to how the teenagers were feeling. "Let's be off then. Sandy?"

Sandy gave a nod after finding the security guard's key and walked over to the front doors. With its self-automated locking system the doors were shut tight from the outside. Sandy took out a key card and swiped the card into the slot with ease. The sound of unbolting was heard and Sandy smiled. He opened the door and walked in.

For the next few minutes the remaining Guardians stood while being bombarded with noises coming from the building. Sounds of glass break, books falling, a rooster crowing where heard and a "Bloody Hell" was even uttered. After the jingle of a gong was rung Sanderson came back. His sandy clothes looking a little wrinkled and his hair in an even messier state than usual. He waved to the others and signal with a thumb's up, alerting them that it was safe to come in.

"I'm not even going to ask what happened in there." Bridget muttered dryly while taking her backpack out of the sack and getting the map. She asked for it to take the form of the old Trinity library. The ink for the road map vanished in an instant and was soon replaced with a detailed drawing of the library.

Bridget had asked North about the map earlier if the map could show her any place in the world that she asked it. When North gave a shrug, explaining he wasn't so sure, Bridget tried to ask for the lair of where ever the Morrígan was hiding. Much to her annoyance the map showed nothing of the sort. It was after that North concluded that it could only showed places that weren't blocked off by a powerful magic. Which explained why Bridget couldn't find the village of Santoff Claussen or North's workshop on the map either.

"Okay, I already see their dots on the map." Bridget told Tooth. They hid behind a tree near the library. Of course it was mostly for Bridget to hide but Tooth didn't want to leave the girl by herself. "So far I can't see any other dots moving around. Seems like Sandy's dreamsand is still under affect."

"It should," Tooth promised. "Sandy makes sure his sand allows a person to sleep a full eight hours before sunrise."

"And it's already 10:30 at night. That should gives us sometime 'til then."

"Plenty of time to wait…and talk." Tooth said the last part quietly. Bridget stopped looking at the map long enough to have heard Tooth's change of tone. "Like what?"

Tooth's feathers puckered in consideration. "Oh, just stuff. Stuff about life, food…boys."

Bridget moaned. "Oh Tooth, really?" She gave the older woman an exasperated look.

"The way you and Jack were acting earlier is inexcusable," Tooth puffed her cheeks in resentment. "You always got along well with one another, now you seem like you want anything to do with one another." She crossed her arms. "That is not how friends should act around each other."

"So now you're calling Jack and me friends?" Bridget rolled her eyes. She tried reading over the map until Tooth said, "I always thought you two were friends. A part of me also felt there might be…something more. And it seems I'm the only one who does compared to the two of you."

"Not so sure about that," Bridget mumbled. Tooth eyed her curiously, though she had a feeling what it might be. Bridget instinctively touched her wrist. She frowned when she did not touch the familiar cold metal that wrapped around her wrist. "It happened early on when I went to clear my head. Jack found me and we talked for a while." The redhead smiled wistfully. "He convinced me that losing my bracelet wasn't the end of the world."

"And?" Tooth scooted over, anxious to hear the next words.

A glowing blush was slowing appearing on Bridget's face and she frowned. "I think Jack was trying to…"

"What?" Tooth spoke barely above a whisper.

"Maybe…"

"Yes?"

"A little like a…"

"Go on and say it," Tooth exclaimed excitedly.

"JACK TRIED TO KISS ME!" One of Bridget's eyes twitched and her hair looked a little unsettled near the top. She breathed in and out, trying to recompose herself and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Tooth blinked twice while trying to re-absorb the information. One Mini-fairy, christened Sweet Tooth by Bridget since she was always the first to politely leave Bridget's hair when asked, tapped Tooth to get her to regain her composer. Tooth smiled in gratitude. Tooth started to chose her words carefully. "Is that really what happened?"

Bridget reluctantly nodded. "Yeah." She scowled while shaking her head. "And the worst part is…I almost wanted it to happen. And don't start squealing."

Tooth covered her mouth at the last second, her eyes widened in amazement of Bridget's quick sensitivity. "I wasn't going to."

"Tooth that's a lie and you know it. I just can't believe that whole thing happened. But I'm imagining it in my head over and over like a replay." The redhead held a confused look. "Or at least I think that's what those are called I don't think I've ever seen one."

The Guardian of Memories' smile became a thin line as she tried to process what Bridget had just said. "So a part of you wanted that moment with Jack to happen."

Bridget nodded, bringing her knees under her chin. "I just-I, ugh. I can't accept that I'm admitting this but. I always liked reading fairy tales mostly because of the true…love-there I finally said it, true **love**." Bridget growled tiredly and slammed her face into her knees.

"_She is a little odd," _Sweet Tooth mused in her high-pitched voice. The tone was a bit lower than Baby Tooth's with her sounding more light and airy. Toothiana gave her a look of warning. Sweet Tooth gave a defensive look. _"Well she is. I still like her and her teeth don't get me wrong."_

Tooth forced back a sigh and looked at Bridget sympathetically and patted her head. "There's nothing wrong about reading stories about true love."

"Yeah I know," Bridget's response turned out muffled. "But how the stories showed it gave the feeling love is something everlasting and made you the happiest you'll ever be. Love is supposed to be the greatest thing ever and yet I've seen it at its worst. Well not technically seeing it but you get the idea. One couple that I lived with use to argue a lot when I was with them. A month after I was sent to a different family I learned that they divorced. I was nine when I found that out.

"At every high school I went to I heard teenagers promising to be faithful to one another until I would hear them cheat behind the other's back when I stumbled across it by accident. What do those prove? That love is really the strongest thing in the world and can conquer anything?" Bridget shook her head. "All it does is bring people together only for them to get unhappy in the end. How is that in anyway love?"

"But those are just some bad examples." Tooth rationalized " My mother used to tell me that love can make you feel hurt just as much as being happy on the inside, but the fact you loved at all is special. And no one can take that away from you."

"Seriously, why are you and the others so, so harebrained when it comes to mine and Jack's love life?" Bridget stood up, shifting her weight back and forth from one foot to the other. She made erratic hand gestures while explaining. "I'm not even sure what exactly I feel for him. I **do** care about him, but I'm not sure if it's strong enough for it to be….well how two people feel with one another that's more than platonic."

Silence filled the area. The only sounds audible was the far-off cars honking and screeching tires. Tooth held a look mixed with surprise and understanding. She placed her hand on Bridget's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Bridget looked up to see Tooth. She assumed the Fairy Queen wanted to talk.

"Do you want to know why the Guardians and I like seeing you with Jack?" Tooth had a ghost of a smile.

Bridget shrugged. "'Cause we looked cute together?" To be honest she really had no clue other than the moon continuingly trolling her.

"Well we, as in North, Bunny and I weren't there for Jack. Sandy, I think, sometimes conversed with him but not enough to share a great bond." The hidden smile was replaced with a guilty look. "Jack was basically alone in the world while us Guardians had each other. Seeing you with him made us realize how much Jack likes-no-**craves **that attention. Of course he acts the same way with the children in Burgess but you're around his age and can relate a bit more I think. Which is why I really support you both. Whether it's friendship or…something more, I think the rest of us want to see Jack happy."

Tooth was expecting to see Bridget smiling at the newfound knowledge only to see the girl's frown deepen. "You really want to put that kind of weight on my shoulders?"

"I didn't mean it like that." Tooth quickly responded to Bridget. "I was only saying what my fellow Guardians and I feel toward your relationship with Jack."

"There isn't one though." Bridget insisted. "I won't ever be the sort of person that is right for him. Jack deserves someone who listens to him and knows how he feels and, and someone who is not me."

"But Wisdom Tooth, I believe you can win him over." Tooth spoke with high optimism.

"I can't when I already know I lost." Bridget sighed bitterly.

Tooth squinted her eyes in confusion. "I don't think I understand."

"There's some else out there that Jack…loves." Bridget grimaced from uttering that word. "And I definitely know it's not me."

The Fairy Queen gaped in surprise. She never heard Jack mentioning some girl before. After a few moments of thinking, Tooth's eyes widened in realization. "I hope I'm not taking this the wrong way but, if you're assuming that I'm that person I just want to make it perfectly clear that I don't see Jack in that way."

Bridget held back a smile; Tooth had no idea. The human decided to tease the fairy. "Funny, you could've fooled me."

"Trust me when I say it's only platonic between Jack and me."

Bridget bit her tongue to prevent herself from laughing aloud. "Really? Then what does the activity the Mini-fairies are doing imply?" The redhead thumbed to the other side of the oak tree.

On the other side the Mini-fairies were weaving a banner made from blades of grass. They were chirping in coos of what sounded like excitement. Tooth cleared her throat loud enough for them all to hear. The Mini-fairies stopped abruptly when they saw Tooth standing over them. She opened her palm, asking for the natural green parchment.

A small blush appeared on Tooth's face when she read the banner. "The Frostitute Fan Club?"

"Haha-Haha~!" Bridget had tears in her eyes as she laughed like mad. She fell to the ground and rolled around. Her insides were hurting and she almost couldn't breath. "Oh, my god! Ha~ha~! That is just too hilarious! Frostitute! I'd never come up with that in like a million years."

Tooth sighed. "I would never think anything like that. I swear my fairies have minds of their own sometimes." The Mini-fairies smiled sheepishly and gave very remorseful looks.

Bridget stopped laughing long enough for Tooth to explain, "I just want to let you know that I'm only interested in Jack's teeth! I think they sparkle like freshly fallen snow. Nothing else."

"So basically you and your fairies are in love with Jack's teeth." Bridget smiled with a huge grin.

Tooth nodded.

"I kind of already knew that." Bridget admitted. She enlightened a surprised Tooth a few moments later. "You've been inspecting Jack's teeth as much as mine, probably more. And the Mini-fairies try repeatedly to sneak around Jack to see them too. Baby Tooth doesn't need to since she and Jack are close I guess."

Tooth nodded in agreement. "Yes they do hang out a lot-you're trying to change the subject. Who's the person Jack supposedly likes?"

Bridget mentally cursed. She really didn't want to bring it up again, but seeing how Tooth and even the Mini-fairies were listening in. Bridget sighed for what felt like the million time that day. "I heard Jack talking in his sleep one night. He was apologizing to this girl named Emily and said that he-" Bridget nearly choked. "That he loves her and that he still does."

Tooth and her fairies sighed sadly. "That's so sad."

Bridget barked a laugh. "C'mon let's be serious, I can't compete with someone I don't even know. The girl probably knew Jack before he was chosen, I don't know. That girl is pretty much someone he cares about even if he doesn't remember. I can't have that kind of conscience knowing he might've been happier with that girl instead…let's just say me hypothetically speaking of course."

"Of course," Tooth nodded, hiding back a smile as a plan was forming. "But you know maybe you could, hypothetically, get Jack to like you."

"Hypothetically right?" Bridget asked, with an eyebrow raised.

"Certainly," Tooth grinned. "Getting his attention is the best way to do it." _"Even if you already did that." _Tooth thought kindly._ "But that doesn't mean we can't help her out a bit right girls?" _She eyed the Mini-fairies.

The Mini-fairies chirped happily. _"Just as long as we still get to love Jack's teeth right?" _Sweet Tooth asked earnestly.

Tooth almost rolled her eyes. _"Of course." _

Bridget watched the little exchange between Tooth and her fairies with slight confusion. And was even more baffled when Tooth plucked a few purple, blue and green feathers from her tail. "The best way to get a guy's interest is by getting him to notice you."

"And the feathers help…" Bridget trailed off.

"By adding more to your features." Tooth grinned showing her best smile. "Making your appearance a little different should help with being noticed. Not to mention help burst that self-esteem of yours up a notch."

"And the feathers will help because…"

"They can make you look pretty." Tooth insisted. "We'll just put some in your hair."

Bridget automatically grabbed her braid. "You-we won't change it too much right?"

"Nothing that will make you uncomfortable."

"I already am uncomfortable with this."

Tooth pouted, her hands placed on her hips. "At least try it. Nothing ever hurt anyone when they tried something new."

Bridget sighed; she got annoyed whenever someone made a valid point like that. "Fine, I'll give it a try."

Tooth and the Mini-fairies squealed in excitement. When was the last time they got to do a makeover?

"We can put feathers on me," Bridget continued. "But let's not put my hair down, okay?" She gradually handed her braid over to Tooth's capable hands. "I look really weird with my hair all loose."

"Fair enough." Tooth and her helpers immediately went to work. A comfortable silence grew between the two all the while occasional chirps and giggles were heard from the fairies.

Wanting to ease the slight tension in her, Bridget said, "I haven't done something like this before. Unless you count the times Sophie played with my hair." She smiled in memory.

"I use to do this with…" Bridget heard Tooth grow quiet.

"Your mother?" The redhead offered.

"No," Tooth shook her head. She plucked a gold feather from her crown and placed it above Bridget's ear, giving the head a highlight in color contrast. "With Pippa and Cupcake when I visited the girls. There the ones that taught me what a sleepover was." Tooth smiled.

"Is that so?" Bridget mirrored the grin, knowing well enough that Pippa would probably do something like that.

"They're such sweeties," Tooth gushed. "Almost like the girls in the village I grew up in. Though I think I spent more time with Pippa than Cupcake. I feel badly that I haven't bonded with her as well." Tooth sighed. "But I almost know nothing about unicorns. I feel so ashamed." She paused her work and covered her face. Bridget turned toward Tooth, giving her a sympathetic dimple.

"It can be hard when you pick favorites by accident. I should know since it's been really hard to for me to know if I like Sophie or Jamie more. Both of them are just terrific." Tooth smiled anxiously at Bridget. "That's very touching."

"Yeah," Bridget nodded in agreement. She then spoke cryptically. "It must be nice to feel wanted."

Tooth widened her eyes at the sentence but said nothing. She already heard one revelation from Bridget; she wasn't going to pry for now.

She can wait until next time.

* * *

Apparently Sandy was very thorough with his charge of infiltrating the old library. Not once where there any signs of movement or stirring from the sleeping guards. Most of them were hastily pushed aside to a corner out of the way or leaning near a wall while standing upright. It was easy to see thanks to the flashlight Bridget gave Nightlight and he had fun using it while making the occasional shadow puppet. Seeing that made Bunny almost chuckle. He assumed that Jack was in similar spirits.

When the pooka noticed Jack was walking a good few paces away from the others did he turn around to see why. The winter spirit looked nothing like the larrikin Bunnymund knew and got annoyed by. His head was low, and refused to gaze at anyone. That attitude of his was making him look like a real wowser.

"Okay mate, what has you all down in the dumps?"

"Nuthin'" Jack muttered.

Bunny shook his head. "No you're not. You've been acting odd since you and the Big Ankle-biter got back. Did something happen between you two?" He knew what the answer was but he decided to play innocent for now.

"Why would you care?"

"Hold on, no need to burr up on me." Bunny raised his arms in defense.

"He vas only asking, Jack." North added. He twisted his head slightly to see Jack more clearly. "Ve all are."

"Nothing is wrong." A blue eye twitched. Sandy crossed his arms, not believing a word the winter spirit was saying. Nightlight held a sympathetic look toward Jack, hinting he was willing to listen to whatever Jack might've wished to say.

"You know what fine," Jack called out, exasperated would be considered an understatement by this point in time. He pulled at his white locks before sighing, ready to narrate his tale. "When I went to go find Bridget I found her at a part of the park with a lake and gazebo. She was upset over giving her bracelet up to Eamon. But could you blame her? It's like if you had to give up you're swords, North or Bunny sacrificing his boomerangs or Nightlight handing…handing his staff away."

An uncomfortable lump formed in Jack's throat. He swallowed and continued. "I talked to her that losing the bracelet wasn't the end of the world. We then started talking about all this other stuff like how Bridget felt like being alone, her comparing us Guardians like we're some family because we're all orphans or something like that, I don't really remember." He scratched the back of his head. "The next part made it hard to remember anything to be honest."

North slowed his walking to an unhurried pace. "Such as…?"

"I-I tried," Jack moaned. "Are you really wanting me to say out loud?" He scowled when the others nodded. "I tried to kiss her, okay?"

The silence was so quiet that pin would drop and become the only noise. Bunny and the others stared at Jack with a hidden regard for him. They did not think he would be brave to admit that so early. He must have really had that on his mind. "It was a gut feeling that told me to try it." Jack said, breaking the silence. "It was also a little half-baked with me being torn about the whole thing and not knowing if it was a good idea or not.

"I don't know if I got fed up with you patience method Bunny or it was the moment but I just felt like trying it. Through the whole time it was happening a part of me says to keep it as friends with her, the other says no way, but which one is right?" Jack placed a hand over his forehead, rubbing the formed creases. "I don't know. Things are so complicated right now. I've been feeling really confused about my feelings and I-I just don't know."

For a moment Jack was a little worried. Worried that the others were either going to scold him or even laugh. Some part of his mind thought that. Instead the complete opposite happened. North placed a hand on Jack's shoulder while giving the winter spirit a soft look. Bunny carried that similar mien along with the others.

"Jack," North began in his comforting voice. "Vhat you did might be a little, uhh…premature-that is vord to use yes?" Bunny nodded after North glanced his way.

"Yes, premature. Premature because, uhh-" North scratched his head, trying to find the right words. Bunny sighed, "Jus' let me 'ave a go."

The pooka hopped near the other two Guardians so he was between them now. "Good and keep walking," Bunny told to the others. He turned to Jack and said, "He and I will catch up with ya soon."

"All right." North, Sandy and Nightlight soon left the pooka and human Guardian.

Jack shifted his feet, uncomfortable with being alone with Bunny, even if Baby Tooth was on his shoulder. It wasn't much of a help that Bunny kept staring at him. With the pooka looking like he was profiling him didn't improve the atmosphere either. Eventually Bunny talked. "So," he crossed his fuzzy arms. "You ignored my advice." It wasn't spoken like a question.

"Yeah, I got a little impatient."

"With Bridget or yourself?" With his ears Bunny heard Jack muted a sigh.

"Mostly me," Jack said before muttering, "Not much with Bridget though but, ugh! Why does this have to be so hard? Can't I just like someone and have no second thoughts? And why Bridget? Don't get me wrong she's great, but wouldn't make more sense if it was with another seasonal spirit or Legendary?" Baby Tooth sighed quietly, the winter spirit wasn't the only one suffering like this. She was able to hear her mother and Bridget's conversation outside thanks to the mental link and know that a certain redhead was dealing with similar thoughts.

"Why, why, why? We all ask questions Jack," Bunny reminded him. "But sometimes things just happen for a reason. We meet someone, go to some place, or become something, it all falls into place."

"So you're saying it's something like destiny?"

"I'm saying what's happening to you is fate." Bunny answered. "Destiny is a force that'll happen to you in the future. Fate is what currently happens now, not long awaiting like destiny. Fate led you to crashing into Bridget and meeting her. Whether that meant something beyond friendship is up to you. But it's like what I keep saying," Bunny's tone turned into borderline frustration. "You can't rush your feelings. They have to go their course. If you want to figure them out then look at yourself and think deeply."

Bunny gave Jack a hard, but honest look. "Think about all the things that you do with her and ask what exactly makes it special. Put yourself in her place and feel what she feels. With that everything should just click."

"What does that mean?" Jack cut in.

"It means you feel like everything falls into place." A small smile formed on Bunny. "The feeling of something or someone who makes your life complete. That feeling of being complete with that something-"

"Or someone." Jack added, hanging on to every word.

Bunny nodded. "Yes, the feeling of being complete and never wanting to lose it again. Sure, the Man in the Moon gave us a reason to exist, but we were all born with the feeling of searching for something else. It's in our nature to look for that. The click makes everything seem brighter. Colors all around you look brighter. Food tastes like the feeling of a long day's work finished up. The thing or person beside you gives you this special feeling that everything in your life is complete; it gives everyday new meaning, like being believed in for the first time all over again. The way they make you happy when they are is apparent. Their laughter is all around you and everything become clearer to you. That missing half of the chain clicks just right and fits perfectly."

The two Guardians were no longer walking as they stood near a glass case with a golden book inside. Bunny smiled softly when he started to see Jack slowly beginning to understand.

"I understand, I think." Bunny's smile blossomed into a wide grin.

"Good," Bunny pat Jack's leg before moved in front of him. "Just remember that. Once it clicks, everything will make sense."

"But when will that happen for me and with who?"

Bunny glanced to the ground before answering, "That's something that happens on it's own."

"Like fate?" Jack asked dully.

"Now you're catching on," Bunny smirked.

"Bunny! Jack!" The sound of North's voice called out. The pooka and winter spirit held their undivided attention toward the former Cossack. His voice echoed from a corner leading Jack and Bunny to follow it. They had past through shelves upon shelves of books the whole area feeling more like a maze than a library. At one point Bunny lead Jack to a dead end by accident, much to the pooka's frustration.

Eventually the duo was able to locate North's location properly. Thanks to North yelling once more they found the others in no time. Jack and Bunny traced the others near the far end of the library. There were fewer bookshelves in that location most of them replaced with glass cases. One glass case in particular had become the meeting spot for the group with them all encircling the box. Jack and Bunny soon joined the three.

"Good," North smiled. "Ve are all here," his smile turned more mischievous as he looked at the two arrivals. "Vhile you two were further avay the rest of us finally found vhat ve vere looking for all this time." He gestured his hand toward the glass case.

Jack and Bunny unknowingly exchanged looks of awe while peeking inside the case. Through the glass and wood cornered case Jack could see two weapons resting a purple velvety cushion ground. They both looked exactly like the weapons in the picture, albeit lager and more three-dimensional. The sword shimmered with the blade made of iron and the hilt gilded with faded gold. The spear also held a sharp metal blade. While the iron wasn't as smooth looking as Nightlight's blade the wood shaft was more intricate in design. The wood was carved with the impression of a braid on the surface giving the lightened brown a more organic look. The only thing that connected the weapons as if they were part of a puzzle was two familiar emeralds forged precisely where the metal met the hilt.

"Did you notice that they look like they're tingling almost?" Jack asked a few moments later. "Like they're moving."

Bunny nodded. "I see it too."

"Then they are indeed magic." North concluded. "I've had seen magical veapons act stranger than that I vill tell ya."

"So these are definitely it then." Jack declared with a smile, his old attitude starting to return.

Noticing the new temperament in Jack, North nodded eagerly. He wiggled his fingers while looking at the weapons. His eyes held that ancient craving of thieving.

"Just like old times, huh North?" Bunny asked with a knowing smile. Jack was momentarily confused until he remembered the old stories North told him and Bridget about how the former Cossack was a bandit king. _"Let's just hope he doesn't get carried away." _A hidden smile was clear from his features.

"Hang on North," Bunny got between the taller Guardian and the case. "This isn't like a royal palace from the 19th Century. There could be an alarm or something."

Sandy nodded in agreement. Nightlight blinked three times in surprise. He moved his head around, tilting it around to see any traps or any indications of ambush. Jack held his laughter. The poor spectral boy wasn't there when the modern alarm system was invented.

North made a huff of annoyance but didn't show any hint of objecting. "How do you suggest ve get treasures out then? Hmmm…" He glanced at Bunny with a poignant look.

Bunny drooped his ears while he looked rather shocked. The look soon turned into an expression of embarrassment.

"This might be a little harder than I thought."

* * *

"How much longer do I keep my head straight like this?" Bridget was sitting up undeviating with such a high posture that a pencil would be jealous.

Tooth twisted her tongue while placing a feather in the younger girl's red locks. "Just wait a few moments…" She held a palm open asking, "Pluck one blue/green feather from the higher half of tail please." Her Mini-fairies removed the feather without a hint of hesitation. They surprisingly got past the whole fear of hurting Tooth with yanking her plumage out; the appeal of helping with a hair styling calmed them down.

"Almost there…and-" "Ow," Bridget winced when she felt a feather poke her scalp.

"Sorry," Tooth apologized. She did a last few tweaks around Bridget's braid until Tooth was satisfied with her work. She smiled, liking how the feathers were placed. "All right, it's done."

"Finally?" Bridget asked, her tone sounding like she was looking forward to seeing the finished product.

"I'm sorry I don't have a mirror for you to see it properly." Tooth said unhappily.

"That's okay," Bridget smiled. "I can just wait and ask the guys." Her eyes squinted in thought. "Do you think they should've gotten out by-" Her words were silenced when the sound of bells and whistles literally went off. She and Tooth stood up in high alert and held distressed looks when they saw lights flashing from the old library. Moments later the doors swung wide open revealing four male Guardians rushing out of the building. In North's arms he held a sword and spear while staggering slightly from the apparent weight.

"How the bloody heck could a book be strong enough to break a glass case?" Bunny yelled through the sirens.

"Don't know, don't care." Jack answered quickly while jumping over the slowly reawakening guards. They grumbled before waking up completely when they saw the alarm on.

"How did this happen?" Malcolm asked Derek, but the other was too busy with looking at the door. "Someone got in." Derek concluded correctly.

"We should probably get going," Bridget whispered to North.

"Agreed."

"Oi, who's that over there?" A mere second later Bridget saw the men point a flashlight near her direction. It was then she and the Guardians silently agreed to get out of their current location as fast as possible.

Quickly the group ran across the field by the old library while lights, sirens, and security guards started to appear from everywhere.

"Do they all have snow globes too?" North groaned in annoyance while struggling to hold both weapons. "These people are appearing from everyvhere!"

"Why don't you stop and ask?" Bunny remarked snarkly.

"Don't think they'll see you," Bridget said, her words stopping between each breath she took. "Dang I really need to work out more. Seriously my legs are like jelly!"

"It'll be all right Shelia," Bunny promised. "We're reaching the gate in-" the gate they were all heading for was locked tight and several guards and security dogs were already there. Bunny's eyes widened when he saw the canines "Never mind let's go the other way!"

"But we already went that way and they're guards from there!" Tooth exclaimed.

Jack darted his eyes around until he caught sight of what he was looking for. "That wall!" He pointed a brick wall several yards from the main gate. "Quick this way!"

The Guardians and human started running again going to the left instead. North kept a strong grip on the sword but the spear fell out of his grasp. "NO!"

"Don't worry North I got it!" Bridget fell on her stomach and caught the spear. Her mind went blank instantly when something went through her mind. She saw an image before her eyes. The image appeared to be a darkened form with a different spear in hand than the one Bridget held.

* * *

"_You think you can finally have me concede defeat?" The voice was a woman's with arrogance. Bridget wasn't sure what was going on but she decided to ask questions later when she felt something pressuring a strong force onto her spear and whacking it continuously. _

"_I'll do better," Bridget's mouth said involuntarily. "I'll get to the same level as you." She liked the optimism she was articulating even if she had no idea where it was coming from and why. _

"_Never," the other woman promised with a small growl. "I am the best. No one is better than me!" A hidden blade emerged from the woman's other hand, ready to strike-"Bridget…_Bridget!"

* * *

The redhead snapped out of her thoughts. The vision vanishing quickly as it had appeared. Bridget felt a tug from her sleeve and recomposed herself enough to see that she was being pulled up over the wall. North had lifted her while holding her backside. Nightlight was pulling her arm to over the wall.

"Oi, don't you move!" Bridget yelped in alarm and nearly slipped. Her foot hung out to the inner side of the wall and a flash of light was seen. Thanks to gravity Bridget fell again but this on the side where the street was. Before she could kiss the concrete a pair of arms caught her. Jack smiled in relief once he helped the girl on her feet again. Bridget smiled bashfully and thanked him.

"Let's go!" Bunny called out and the others followed eagerly.

"Bridget," the girl turned to the voice that called out her name. Tooth gave her a concern look.

"You became unresponsive just as we went to the wall." Tooth observed. "Are you fine?"

Bridget pursed her lips, carefully glancing at the spear and giving it a slight grip. "Yeah completely. I just zoned out for a little bit is all."

Tooth eyed the girl worriedly but didn't press on. Eventually they stopped running when they were a good five blocks away from the college. By the time they reached the fifth block most of them were out of breath just as much as Bridget was earlier. Surprisingly Bridget wasn't all that tired. She actually felt as energized when she drank the well water from the other day.

"Do you think they won't come this way?" Bridget asked aloud, not sure if one or more Guardians knew the answer.

"No," North responded a few minutes after recovering his breath. "They shouldn't."

"How did you guys sound the alarm so quickly?"

Bunny frowned and sighed. "Well North got a little impatient with trying to open this glass case that held the weapons the hard way and…threw the book at it literally." He glowered at the ex-Cossack. Bridget nearly giggled. That was typical North behavior.

"How vas I supposed to know glass case had motion alarm system?" North called back. He scowled. "Not my fault if technology has changed so much."

"No but it was your fault for the alarm going off." Bunny snapped.

"Did anyone else she that flash while Bridget was climbing the wall?" Jack asked, preventing Bunny and North from doing a brawl.

"I did," Tooth nodded. "It couldn't have been a camera could it?" Sandy nodded, he wrote down on the notepad saying he saw a guard flashing a picture of Bridget's feet.

Bridget groaned. "Great, they totally took a picture of me."

"More like a picture of your shoes," Jack offered. The redhead looked at her feet and sighed. "They couldn't get any of you guys but the only thing the caught on tape were my three month old tennis shoes?"

"I vill be best if you no longer vear them." North declared.

Bridget looked at her sneakers longingly for a few moments. The dark blue that once covered the shoes had faded and became less clean. The yellow also lost color over time. They weren't holding the same strength and felt less comfortable like the first week Bridget got them. She silently blamed all the running she had been doing. Bridget sighed in defeat. "Fine, the shoes go but I am **not **going barefoot."

Jack gave her a dark look. Bridget held her hands in defense, "Hey the whole shoeless thing works for you but I have sensitive skin. I'm surprised that U.V. rays haven't killed me yet." She pulled her backpack down and opened it up looking for something. Bridget smiled in triumph. "Here we are." She pulled out two brown leather Arabian-styled slippers. "Ombric did say he packed enough clothes for me in case of emergencies. I just hope these will fit me."

"What didn't that guy pack up for you?" Jack asked with a laugh.

Bridget stiffened; the chuckle almost fried her brainpower again. It wasn't that she didn't like to hear Jack's infectious laughter (it reminded Bridget of every winter in her childhood; cold winds that were carried by a distant sound. By the time she met Jack she had a feeling what that sound was) but hearing was indeed wonderful to hear made it very hard for her to focus. This was one of those times again. Bridget coughed awkwardly to cover her embarrassment.

"Who knows," Bridget shrugged, slowly regaining her mental dignity. "It's all magic~" she motioned her hands around her face earning another laugh from Jack.

_"Well there goes the last good half of my brain." _Bridget inwardly sighed.

"We should find a place to hide," Bunny announced. "Somewhere they can't find Bridget."

"Yes," North agreed full heartedly. "But vhere?"

"I think I know a place," Tooth exclaimed in excitement. Right after she said that the sound of police sirens could be heard.

"That better be someplace far from here," Bunny inquired.

"It should be!" Tooth insisted. Bridget quickly joined the others once she placed her new shoes on. She sighed in relief when they fit into her feet. They did pinch a little at first but Bridget decided that all the running she had to do would break the slippers in.

* * *

Sometime had passed since the group left the college grounds. Like Tooth promised the place she suggested for hiding Bridget was perfect. The _Garden of Remembrance _near _Parnell Square. _It was far enough from Trinity for anyone to find Bridget. The Guardians were okay because they were always going to be safe from the college security no matter what. Nonetheless they still didn't want to attract any unwanted attention.

North was ready to collapse by the time they reached the park. "Oh my feet. They are hurting more than last thieving I did." He sat on a bench, removing his thick boots off moments later.

"And that was like what; 230 years ago?" Bunny smirked. He avoided the boot North threw at him and chuckled. The second and last boot hit him and made the unlucky rabbit fall into the man-made water-feature. He glared darkly at Sandy and Nightlight when they silently laughed at his misfortune.

"This should be a good place to regain our strength." Tooth specified. Her Mini-fairies rested near one of the ledges while they looked at the _Children of Lir_ statue in wonderment. Baby Tooth was reunited with them after Jack gave the Mini-fairy back to Tooth.

Jack stood near the water, fishing Bunny out, while Bridget came trough the trees "Bad news, I couldn't find anything to eat." Bridget sighed.

"We will find food soon, Wisdom Tooth. We just have to hang in there." Tooth soothed the girl.

"I know," Bridget lamented. "Just wish I could have some now. Nothing fancy, just a simple snack like bread or fruit. Ohh, maybe an apple that would be so~ good right now."

"Petrov alvays liked apples." North sighed sadly.

Bunny was wringing his ears to dry them off when he heard North. The pooka sighed, "Of course he brings the reindeer up."

"Ve still have not found him." North buried his face in his hands. Bridget gave North a sympathetic look, her hunger no longer being an issue. She walked over to the Guardian of Wonder and put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. "We will look for him North. We **will **find him."

North studied Bridget's gaze seeing how sincere and honest it was. He gave her a half smile. The redhead committed the act of pandiculation with her arms stretching over her head.

"Sandy," North chuckled. "Don't tell you're-" a yawn "-causing this."

The Sandman smiled but shrugged his shoulders, clearly oblivious to the meaning behind North's words.

"It's just all the day's events finally catching up to us." Bunny also yawned before he stretched his back legs.

"We should all go and shut our eyes," Tooth then added when she saw North's forlorn look. "At least for a few hours until we get our strength back."

Slowly one by one, the group started to rest on the surrounding benches in the park. The former Cossack offered the wooden pew for Bridget but she said she could take out a sleeping bag to rest in. Tooth sighed contently once she was shifted around her bench, opposite to North's. Her little fairies cuddled near the bigger fairy's warmth. Nightlight lied down on a bench with Sandy and Bunny lying near his long legs. He was still awake but adjusted his head so he could see the sky and daydream.

Bridget took Sal out of her pocket and placed him in the water, knowing he would be more comfortable in there than her stuffy sleeping bag. She was about to slip inside the padded bag when she saw Jack walking up the steps toward the Children of Lir statue. Bridget arched an eyebrow and hoisted herself up.

Jack stared at the stone structure with a blank expression. He recalled the story that told of the tragic fate of the children and how they were forced to be swans for nine hundred years.

"_Looks like these guys would've needed Guardians," _Jack thought with no humor in his tone.

His ears intercepted the sound of someone climbing up the stairs. Jack didn't put his guard up he know before turning around who it was. Once he did turn Bridget could be seen standing right on the last step. Her eyes gleamed with their familiar glow they had before Bridget would smile. And just as the gleam predicted Bridget smiled, a more hesitant one with her head lowered.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hey," Jack replied, his tone soft as hers. Bridget didn't speak and stood there rather awkwardly as if she did not think of anything to say to Jack before coming. She tugged at her braid, bringing it to her front most likely because she no longer had her bracelet and the woven hair became her new fidget. The feathers belonging to Tooth shined brightly in the moonlight.

Bridget stopped darting her eyes long enough to see Jack staring at her. To be precise he was looking at her braid intently. She bit her cheek in fear. Of course Jack would find the feathers weird. He must've been so use to seeing them on someone as lovely as Tooth, so when Bridget had them on it must have been setting him off or something. She knew that wearing would be a bad idea-

"So you're wearing some of Tooth's feathers in your hair." Jack pointed out poorly. He nearly cursed. "_Duh, of course she knew she was._ _Bridget wasn't blind anymore she could see just fine."_

Much to his luck Bridget didn't realize Jack was having an internal battle and smiled. "Yeah," she pushed her bangs over her right ear. "…Tooth helped me out with that suggesting I should try and change my look."

"Why would she have you do that?" Jack asked honestly.

Bridget smiled weakly, starting to regret the plumage being in her hair. "I wanted to change my look," she decided to say. "I understand that I probably look weird with them on or…"

"No," Jack said with honesty once more. "The feathers look nice on you." He then mumbled, "They suit you."

Bridget blinked, trying to process what she heard Jack just say. Even when he was mumbling Bridget heard those three words clearly. "How do they suit me?"

Jack was ready to run into a wall. He ignored his instincts and smiled sheepishly. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes," Bridget answered timidly while her cheeks started to turn scarlet.

"They make you…" Jack struggled with finding the right words. "Shine more." _"MiM I'm an idiot!" _

Bridget tilted her head. "'Shine more.'" Slowly she started to walk toward Jack's general direction. _"Oh, man I'm dead. I knew I'm dead." _Jack thought bitterly as Bridget came closer with a look of indifference on her face. Much to his surprise the redhead didn't tackle him once she was a few feet from the winter spirit. She knelt to her knees and looked into the water that encircled the statue.

She looked at her reflection and her eyes widening to a size larger than her normal dimension. Bridget couldn't believe what a great job Tooth did. Well actually she could, if someone as pretty as Tooth was able to preen her feathers and style them to give her the appearance of a princess she could make someone plain looking like Bridget look presentable. Bridget wasn't going to straight away compare herself to such beauty like Tooth's but she had to admit she did look…pretty.

The moon's light illuminated her hair with a heavenly glow while the feathers shimmered in the luminosity. Thanks to the shower she had the other day her hair looked healthy and even had some volume despite the woven braid. Her face looked less pale than normally and held more color. The egg glasses on her nose even made Bridget appear more…intelligent. She was starting to like the shape of them too. The girl almost jumped in surprise when she saw the reflection of a handsome face.

"_Wait did I just think that?" _Bridget shifted her eyes around in shock.

"See," Jack smiled softly. "You do shine."

"Not as much as your teeth do," Bridget smiled sheepishly. "Tooth told me they looked like snow."

Jack smiled crookedly, clearly embarrassed. "Tooth told you that huh?"

Bridget rolled her eyes playfully while she stood up. She dusted her knees and smiled. "She said a lot of stuff about you." The redhead hid a smug smile.

"Oh goodie."

"But that doesn't really matter to me," Bridget replied. "It's the inside that counts."

"Yeah, so am I good on the inside too?" Jack spoke with a slight hint of hope.

"Of course," Bridget answered like it was easy as two plus two. "You want me to tell why."

Jack nodded his eyes not hiding his interest. Bridget inwardly sighed. "Well…you can be pretty hardheaded and stubborn. You're also reckless with not following the rules all the time. You could try and be more responsible."

"How is any of this supposed to be positive attributes?" Jack soon became frustrated.

"I'm getting to it," Bridget insisted. "Despite all of those things about you, there are a lot of positive things about you too. You're gentle and generous. You treat people the way you want to be treated, which can be good or bad depending on the situation." Bridget smiled sheepishly. "How you treat kids is phenomenal with you being uncommonly kind and behave towards them with so much sincerity that any person who could see you would admire you for it." By this point Bridget kept her head in order to hide the growing blush.

"Not only that but you've able to put with someone like me," Bridget smiled crookedly. "I really am grateful for that…especially how I acted earlier today."

Jack rubbed his neck, his mouth forming a thin line. "Yeah I noticed."

"It's just that…" the redhead trailed off. _"I might probably l-like you more than I should and I know you already like someone else." _She bit her lower lip and decided to be half truthful. "I'm not use to social interaction that well. Being able to see has made it difficult and for me since I know have to look directly at someone now, and don't take this the wrong way but…talking to guys sometimes terrifies me."

"It does?"

Bridget nodded at Jack's raised eyebrows. "Yes, I wasn't very good at talking to them back in high school. It always freaked me out 'cause I would have no idea if they saw me as a person or some weirdo bookworm who can't see. It also didn't help that I was afraid I would accidently start a fire again, but that's entirely different, obviously."

"Obviously," Jack smiled casually, definitely knew that story.

"I was use to not talking to them and just left it to that. But then you came around; always around me, never getting tired or annoyed…or at least enough for you to leave."

Jack shook his head. "I won't leave you. You're my first teenaged believer, and you're also my friend."

Bridget smiled bashfully. "And you're my friend too. Probably the first…yeah you are." A small frown formed on her features.

"There's nothing with that." Jack consoled. "Besides Jamie, you're the first friend I've had in a long time and that's saying a lot. And you being a teenager makes you my first friend in that age."

The girl smiled, tickled pink by that revelation. "Ditto. And I mean it, I really suck at the whole social interaction thing."

"Funny," Jack glanced at the ground. His eyes darkened in slight resentment. "I thought you and Liam got along well, and he's a guy."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "Please, that guy got on my nerves after the third hour." Jack smiled when he heard that. "I was bonding more with Olivia and the other two guys a little better. Heck, Olivia, so far, was the only one to still consider me a friend. I think my time in Wexford proved that my friendship making skills could be hit or miss. I apparently end up attracting the worst most guys have to offer. The only exception to that so far are young boys who are still considered kids and you and the other male Guardians."

"You did make a friend with Olivia, even though she's a girl." Jack pointed out. "So you don't fail at friend-making."

"When it comes to girls I guess," Bridget shrugged. "Maybe once I get over my slight guy-phobia I'll learn to talk to them better. I really am sorry for how I acted earlier."

Jack stiffened, wishing he should be the one apologizing to her and not the other way around. "I was a little out of line too." _"More like a lot, doofus." _

With her hands behind her back Bridget looked at Jack with an open face. "Just something we'll both have to work on a little more I guess."

"_And figure out what my feelings." _Jack added silently.

"I guess I'll see you in the morning, I guess." Bridget crookedly smiled one last time before heading down the steps. Jack watched her walking down, worried that she wasn going to fall. She paused momentarily at the last step before hoping over it. Bridget giggled quietly while tucking her braid back in place. Jack managed a wistful smile. The redhead found her sleeping bag and unzipped the interlocking teeth.

Jack turned his head around when Bridget removed her coat. He noticed his face betrayed him with a small hint of violet starting to appear in the water's reflection. He breathed out a deep sigh that ended up freezing the water near the statue. A frown became prominent on his features. There was no way it would work for him and Bridget. All he ever did was keep people cold and frost things. He was surprised that Bridget hadn't shiver when being near him yet.

"_It's the inside that counts." _Bridget's words replayed in the winter spirit's mind. Jack wanted to whack himself a second time.

Bridget felt the exact same thing Jack did. She was afraid of hurting others with her fire just like he was with his ice. That's why Jack decided helping her with controlling those powers would be good for her. It was because of that condition of her's that made Bridget tried to see the good in most people and not judge them on their abilities, but their choices on how to use them. It was something she believed in the most knowing that not may other people were like her. For a long time Bridget must have thought she was all alone in the world.

"She's not going to be alone anymore," Jack said with newfound purpose. "Not when she has us now."

* * *

For the fist time since Santoff Claussen Bridget got a full night of sleep. No insomniac awakenings. No odd hallucinated-induced flashback-like dreams. No disruptions what so ever. She felt very comfortable that she didn't want wake up. Bridget's form suddenly became rigid. How could it be comfortable for her to sleep? She was lying down on concrete. When she relaxed her muscles Bridget realized she that her sleeping bag was over something a bit bumpy.

"I hoped you slept well," Jack's voice spoke pleasantly. "Took me like 6 recycling bins to find that bubble wrap."

"Bubble wrap?" Bridget lifted her head from her coat/pillow and shifted her weight to her side. She lifted the sleeping bag's fabric and saw clean plastic wrap with the familiar looking circular bumps full of compressed air. Bridget sat up with her sleeping bag still wrapped around her shoulders. To her right Jack could be seen walking toward her with a couple apples in his arms.

Jack chuckled when he saw Bridget gape at him. "Relax, these weren't stolen." He motioned the fruit in his hands. "I found them near the trees you walked through last night."

Bridget rubbed her eyes while trying to recall that event. "What time is it?"

"Around 7 o'clock." Jack responded. He handed the apples to Bridget who happily accepted the fruit. She took a huge bite out of the red apple, pleased that the growling in her stomach subsided. With her brain working again Bridget remembered walking though the trees but found nothing.

"Wait how was it I couldn't find anything last night and yet you found half a dozen apples this morning, and fully grown no less?" Bridget eyed the fruit in her hand and the rest in Jack's

Jack half smirked and paid no real heed to her confusion. "Maybe I'm just special. Being me connected with nature and all with bringing winter every year, you know."

"Funny," Bridget gave an unamused snort. "I didn't think Mother Nature was going to be helpful on our mission." She took another bite. After some chewing and swallowing Bridget continued, "Or helpful enough to hand out free apples."

Not wanting to turn the conversation south Jack said optimistically, "Maybe it was someone else who is in to nature?"

"Like what, Demeter or Gaia-no wait," Bridget corrected herself. "Gaia is still Mother Nature."

"Maybe it's someone here," Jack placed the rest of the apples down then spread his arms motioning the whole area. "The Celts worshiped nature spirits, just like you said right?"

Bridget rubbed her thumb over the apple core. "The gods the Irish Celts worshiped are gone. Save the Morrígan of course."

Jack frowned, remembering that one piece of information again. "Right. It might just be some random nature spirit."

"Or global warming affecting the environment." Bridget suggested before taking another bite on a new apple.

Jack chucked humorlessly. "Yeah or that."

Bridget noticed something black and white sticking out of his hoodie pocket. "Is that a newspaper?"

"Yes and before you ask, no." He gave her a dry look. "I didn't steal this either."

"I wasn't going to ask," Bridget denied with a slight pout.

Jack laughed but with more sentiment. He walked to where North was still sleeping. "I brought it for North. I figured that he would like something to take off his mind of the 'P-word,'" Jack air-quoted. "At least for a little while."

"Oh," Bridget's eyes widened and she nodded in understanding.

Jack slipped the paper underneath North's arm and walked away until he reached the waterway. He casually walked long the edge like a tightrope and carried his staff over his arms. Bridget watched the spectacle with a smile, finding the sight before her amusing. A sad thought came to her mind moments later.

"You must miss the wind don't you?" Bridget asked a few minutes later.

Jack paused his movements, a stoic expression appearing on his face. The air suddenly became cool. "Yeah, I miss it. I never realized how much it was a part of my existence until I lost it."

"Well I don't think it's lost. The wind is there, somewhere. Probably trying to get in. Like how there was some wind last night. Oh, happy December 6th by the way." Bridget said in almost one breath. She shuffled inside her sleeping bag for a few minutes. Jack arched an eyebrow but started to laugh quietly after she climbed out with her coat now on her body again.

"That looked unnecessarily complicated," Jack chuckled.

Bridget feigned a pout and pointed to herself. "Oh you wish you had my mad clothes-changing skills."

"I do?" Jack played along with her game. He got off of 'his' perch and stepped closer to Bridget, not wanting to lose the stare-down they had just initiated.

"Yeah." Bridget placed her hands on her hips. "I'm full of mad skills that I am dumb enough to brag about to an immortal spirit like you, Frosty."

"Please," Jack waved her gloat away. "I could use my powers to blow you off of the water."

"Oh sure you've made snowballs and threw them at my face but I've never seen you making snow or any winter wonderlands." Bridget admitted. Jack blinked in surprise, realizing that she was probably right.

Moments passed before both of them realized something important. They were nearly inches apart from each other's face. A small blush appeared on Bridget's face. Jack lowered his eyes and he inwardly sighed. _"So much for trying to keep things from getting awkward between us." _ His nose tickled when he smelled the scent of apples again. How he smelled cinnamon too was another mystery altogether. And just as the awkward tension commenced it ended when someone shouted.

"Yippa!" North roared happily. Bridget and Jack leaped away from each other before turning toward the unexpectedly cheerful Guardian.

"You sure sound glad North," Bridget observed calmly with her arms crossed.

North chuckled heartily. "Any man can be vhen his answers are no long questions."

"I think I'm confused," Jack raised a hand.

"Ve can find Petrov! Klassno!" He cried so loudly that he jolted everyone out of his or her sleep. Nightlight was already awake but he was saddened that he had to stop daydreaming.

Bunny grumbled after falling into the stone-hard ground. "This had better be-wait whadigi jus' hear?"

"I think I heard the same thing Bunny and I'm sitting over here!" Tooth called out from where she sat.

North could hardly contain himself while he waited for the others to join him. His blue eyes were fixated over the newspaper that was held in his hands.

"Is there something you want to elaborate on for us North?" Tooth asked in interest.

"I know how ve can find Petrov!" North shouted, nearly deafening the rest of the group.

"Whoa," Jack rubbed his ears. "Easy on the pipes North."

"Sorry," North apologized.

"Are you really serious about finding Petrov?" Bridget asked hopefully.

North nodded eagerly. "Look here, look here!" He pointed toward an article in the paper. The Guardians inched forward, their eyes all trained on the article. For a second Jack's eyes darted toward Bridget and saw her slight distress in her mien. She moved her eyes over the paper but was doing to fast for a person to actually read any of the words. Before he could process over this discovery North spoke out and read aloud. Jack noted that Bridget wordlessly mouth a small sigh of relief.

"It says here that there is event before Christmas Parade late afternoon in _Herbert Park._" North unraveled the article. "An event vith Dublin Children's Choir singing carols."

"Carolers?" Bridget perked with interest.

"Uh-huh," Bunny dragged impatiently. "And this is relevant because…"

"Because," North mocked Bunny's tone, "'along vith carolers is an appearance of Santa Claus and one of his reindeer."

Tooth couldn't stop her smile from getting any wider. "And you think that might be Petrov?"

"Vhat?" North smiled amusedly. "Know any other reindeer in Ireland?" His eyes soon widened. "...Vait don't answer that one."

"It could be a stretch but when has trusting our gut feelings failed us before?" Jack asked with a shrug.

"Twelve," Bunny, Tooth, and North admitted. Sandy barrowed the sketchbook from Nightlight to write the number twelve on a blank sheet of paper.

"Still, the only lead we all have," Bridget added cautiously. "We don't really have much to lose. Especially since I am wearing new shoes the police can't find me."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to come with us?" Jack asked worriedly. The other Guardians exchanged relieved glances after they saw Jack speaking to Bridget. Nightlight hid a knowing smile; he heard the two teenagers talking the other night and earlier this morning.

"Unless you want me to get lost agai-" "Okay you can come with!" Jack gave in hastily.

Bridget smiled rather smugly. "Then we have no problem." She walked over to where the water was and fished out Sal. She smiled at the little amphibian and placed him in her pocket.

"We will need to figure out how to find Petrov and get him out of that park without anyone's notice though." Tooth said logically.

"Vill figure it out along the vay." North was already walking up the steps with the intention of getting to Herbert Park as soon as possible.

"Sweet," Bridget cheered. "Let's go see some Christmas carolers!"

* * *

As it turned out Bridget was correct about no Irish law enforcement came her way. Which meant she and the Guardians could travel south through Dublin easily. Well as easily as walking for several miles was. Thankfully there were some public drinking fountains that the Guardians occasionally stopped to rest at. They insisted Bridget to always have a drink. Not because it was a long walk but because she was acting rather odd.

Bridget kept singing a happy tune under her breath and practically skipped all the way down the street they were on. She seemed to be in more of a hurry to get to Herbert Park than North was. The Guardians silently agreed she was suffering from dehydration or drinking well water again.

"I don't what the problem is," Bridget complained. "We've pretty much stopped at every fountain and I've drank enough water to last me a week."

"You didn't drink much yesterday so we can't be too careful," Tooth spoke motherly.

"Yeah, I know. But I don't have any problems right now," Bridget explained. She glanced the street they were on and nearly squealed. Christmas lights and other festive decorations surrounded the avenue. "All of this merry-ness is giving me good feelings."

"That explains it," Jack replied nonchalantly.

"You must really like Christmas, huh?" North asked amusingly.

"It's one of my favorite times of the year." Bridget frowned at an unhappy looking Bunny. "I said **one **of my favorite times of the year Bunny."

"Heard ya the first time," Bunny grumbled. _"Bet she probably likes Christmas more." _

"Christmas is so awesome," Bridget sighed dreamily.

"_Pegged it."_

"Getting to finally see it all is great." The redhead smiled while glancing at a brick wall with green wreaths nailed to it. She caressed the red ribbons while a soft smile formed on her face. North mirrored her grin, happy to see a child holding so much joy for the holiday season.

"We should get going," Tooth said to the joyful girl. Bridget stopped looking at the decorations long enough for her to follow the Guardians and move right along.

"So, what is it about Christmas that you like so much?" Jack asked a while later. Half of the reason he asked was that he wanted to irritate Bunny with more Christmas gushing from Bridget. The other half was that he was actually curious as to why Bridget liked the holiday, this was the first time he saw this side of her.

Bridget smiled a toothy grin-Mini-fairies chirp happily-and said, "I always liked this time of year. The weather is colder which makes it perfect for reading by an open fire. Everyone gets happy and nice and everybody is treated fairly."

Jack nodded; he knew exactly what she meant by that. Christmas was the rare time of the year where Bridget must've been treated well and kindly.

"Not to mention the food's pretty good," Bridget beamed while the others chuckled knowingly. "But my favorite part is the carolers. You don't see them that much anymore but I like hearing them when I can." She laughed in remembrance. "I always listened to them when I was little kid whenever I got the chance."

"That's why you're excited about going to the park," Jack concluded. "There will be carolers there."

Bridget nodded. "Yeah." She quickly glanced at the others and smiled hopefully. "You don't think it would be bad for me to hear them if they sing around the time they perform do you."

North sighed, as if he was upset with something. "I am sorry Leetle Girl but I don't think ve vill have time for singing if ve are to get Petrov vithout other people's notice."

Bridget's optimistic expression melted away not too soon after hearing North. "Oh, right." Bridget smiled uneasily. "Petrov needs to be-sorry I shouldn't have asked. Sounded pretty selfish." By this point Bridget was mostly berating to herself.

"Sweetie," Tooth crept over to where Bridget stood and gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "It's not that we don't want you to-"

"You don't," Bridget countered dryly, no emotion in her tone at all.

"Okay yes-but we are just on a very tight schedule. We have to retrieve Petrov when none of the children are around to see San-" Tooth paused while giving North a quick glance. "To see the 'Santa's Helper' and put him to sleep and go after that."

"And no one will notice a 1600 pound reindeer missing?" Jack asked humorlessly.

"It's the only option we got," Tooth shrugged. "Unless we put all of Dublin asleep-No Sandy! I was kidding!" Sandy's pleased expression turned into a pout moments later. Bunny chuckled in amusement.

"Toothy," North smiled to the Tooth Fairy. "I am a man known for many things. Having forgiving nature is one of them."

Bunny choked up a cough that sounded suspiciously like a 'liar.' North glared at the pooka. "You not saying Santa Claus I can forgive because you are friend. Vhat I am trying to say is that I don't mind the mentioning of a Santa Claus."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Bunny opposed with his voice sounded like he was about to go into hysterical laughter. "Remember the Christmas of '47?" North could be groaning loudly. "That was a tough year. Especially since that _Macy's _Santa got the best of-"

"Okay!" North raised his hands up in defense. "Okay, I'll admit I vas in not a good mood that decade. I had to dodge like tventy P-39 Airacobras over Atlantic and ironically Mother Russia." North rubbed his chin in thought. He quickly shook his head. "But that is all in past. I am much more level headed now."

"We'll see," Bunny said, knowing the exact opposite would happen. When it came to the Guardian of Hope he dropped his optimism at the front door if it involved North.

* * *

"This is disgrace for Christmas!" North yelled in disgust. Bridget almost wanted to cover his mouth until she remembered that would be in retrospect a very pointless gesture with him being invisible to adults. As for children, they could see him but not at the moment with all of the Guardians hiding behind several trees inside Herbert's Park near the gazebo.

"Pegged it," Bunny chimed aloud in a singsong voice.

"How can children run so blindly toward this-this imposter?" North quickly softened his look when he spotted Bridget frowning at him. "Not meaning to sound rude to blind people, Bridget."

"We prefer to be called visually challenged," Bridget responded curtly then held her head up high. Jack covered his mouth while hiding a chuckle, she never used that term before so he knew she was only joking. He had to appreciate that she was trying to lighten the mood.

Bunny snorted. "She got you there North."

"Still don't vhat makes that imposter so great?" North crossed his arms. Sandy shrugged. Nightlight eyed North and the 'imposter.' The spectral boy had to mutely admit that the so-called North (he refused to call one of his best friends such a degrading name) was less to be desired.

While the padding on the man looked natural the rest of his appearance was very unappealing. The suit he wore was badly made with the red fabric setting off the white too brightly. The white was stained in several places in substance Nightlight didn't even want to think about. The red and white nightcap he wore on top of his head barely fit his skull. Last and certainly least was the beard. Oh MiM, the beard was almost too horrible to look at with it being obviously false. Nightlight was starting to understand why North was upset. If Nightlight saw someone impersonating him in such a bad façade he would get offended as well. The spectral boy blinked, he slowly realized that he was clutching the grass he sat on so tightly that he pulled some off unknowingly. His eyes widened in embarrassment and he sheepishly smiled while putting the grass back to the ground and patted the dirt softly.

"Shh," Tooth hushed them. "Look, I think I see Petrov over near the tent." Tooth pointed to the candy-cane stripped tent the fake Santa sat in. He was busy with pretending to listen to a kid while Tooth's finger trailed near the tent a picket fence stood. Inside the fence a dark furred reindeer sat down looking very downhearted and not the bit pleased to be restrained from the chain he was fettered to. "He must've been found by the farmer and he gave them to this park or something like that."

North choked almost looking like he was about to collapse. Seeing his poor, poor Petrov in such a cruel confinement was heartbreaking. Tooth gave North a comforting pat on the shoulder. "We will save him." She looked directly at the park's gazebo where a large crowd of people formed. "Once all the children leave for the concert we'll get Petrov the first chance we get." Her eyes narrowed in determination.

Jack squinted his eyes as he looked closely at the gazebo. He held a look of confusion when he noticed the group of people starting to shrink. He stood up in concern. "Why are the people leaving?"

"They are?" Tooth looked up and much to her surprise starting to see the cluster of people recede with disgruntled looking adults taking their children to see Santa. "They are."

"What's going on?" Bunny surveyed the area toward the gazebo.

"I'll go check it out." Jack declared. He fully got up and prepared to leave when he felt someone pull on his sleeve. The winter spirit turned to see Bridget holding onto his fabric with her own determined look. "I want to go with you."

Jack gave a brief look of distress toward his fellow Guardians, asking for some help. North shrugged with Sandy and Tooth joining him. Sandy looked to the ground, finding the earth very interesting to look at. Bunny held a blank look with his eyes saying 'Just get over it.' Jack sighed, "Okay let's go."

"Sweet!" Bridget grinned while outstretching her arms. She jumped up and happily skipped toward the gazebo.

"I think she wants to see the carolers more than figuring out what's going on." Jack observed.

"What was your first clue?" Bunny asked while scratching his ears.

"C'mon Jack!" Bridget waved excitedly at him. "Let's get a move on."

Jack sighed. "See ya in a bit guys."

Tooth watched the two leave before breathing out her own sigh. _"I really do hope things get better for those two." _

* * *

Bridget hummed to herself the song, _New Shoes_ by _Paolo Nutini_ with a happy-go-lucky disposition on her face. She occasionally looked at her feet with every other step she took and smiled at her slippers. Yeah, she was more excited for the carolers and her new foot coverings than anything else.

"You seem chipper," Jack remarked with a bemused grin. Chipper was more of an understatement.

"I'm so excited to see some good ol' fashion caroling." Bridget smiled. "Just one of the perks of the Christmas season, I guess."

"How many times have you…listened to a carol performances?"

"Too many to count," Bridget replied with a giggle. "The first one I remembered listening was when some of them came to the hospital with I was still an patient there." She smiled wistfully. "It was the first time I ever heard anything so beautiful. So much passion and love put into each note, the atmosphere each singer made, and it made me almost forget I was blind. It was like I was everyone else who could see. We were altogether listening to the same song and same melody."

Jack felt his heart skip a beat; he didn't know that was why she liked music so much. It was also why she enjoyed Christmas too. With all the music and people being nice to one another anyone would want that.

"_It might also get her mind off of December 21__st__." _Jack's conscience pointed out. The winter spirit brushed that dark thought away. He needed to focus.

The closer the two got the gazebo the less the crowd near it looked large. More and more people were seen leaving it in favor of the Santa Claus attraction in the opposite direction. Jack and Bridget exchanged looks of confusion before the redhead saw something going down near the gazebo. Without another word they quickly head over to the wooden pavilion. By the time they got there a man was speaking to a group of children who appeared to be the ages from seven to fifthteen.

"I'm sorry but you really needed her for the lead vocals." The man sighed and pulled at his black hair.

"We could try to sing the song without her part," one of the older kids offered. Several others voiced their agreement. The man sighed once more. "I'll just told you we can't. She was the only person the at knew the whole song."

"Not our fault we only got the chorus part of the song." The older kid rolled here eyes. "We could just sing a different song."

"You mean one that you all haven't rehearsed?"

The arguing continued to escalate rather quickly, leading more people to leave the area for Santa instead.

"They don't have any Christmas Spirit at all," Bridget frowned. She soon got fed up started walking near the choir conductor, much to Jack's shock and sudden frustration. They weren't supposed to go **that **close.

"Excuse me," Bridget called out to the conductor and chorus singer. They turned to her with the realization of how loud they were talking. Both smiled sheepishly before the choirmaster told his student to stand with the others.

"May I help you Miss?" The choirmaster spoke in a calm voice, completely contradicting the way he acted earlier

Bridget tried very hard not to smile. "I was wondering if there was going to be a show or not."

The man sighed. "'Fraid there won't be with our lead singer just calling me she caught laryngitis."

Jack held a look of disbelief. "Couldn't he just-oh I don't know-get an understudy to do it?"

Bridget heard what Jack said and repeated the question to the choirmaster. He groaned. "The lead vocalist **was **the understudy. The original performer left for a premature trip for the Canary Islands."

"Ouch," Jack visibly winced. Talk about bad luck. "So now do you understand?" The man gave Bridget a sharp look. "We can't do the performance without a _Contralto_."

Bridget frowned until she felt a light bulb appear in her head. "How about a _Mezzo-soprano?" _Her smiled grew with each passing syllable. The man raised an eyebrow in confusion while Jack gaped at her. "What?" each of them said simultaneously.

"I'm bit of a singer too. At least people tell my pipes are really good." Bridget pointed at her throat for emphasis. "I even had lessons for a while and learned that I'm a Mezzo-soprano. Sure it's not as low as a Contralto but I can do what I've got on me." She smiled voluntarily.

"Are you serious," Jack half-whispered. "You can't really be-" "…I hate taking things by chance…" The man looked over at the girl before him with a calculating expression. Seconds ticked by while Bridget tried to keep her confident mien. A few of the chorus children whispered to each other in reserved apprehension. They had no idea how to react toward this odd looking girl with oval-shaped glasses and exotic feathers weaved into her hair.

The man stared blankly at Bridget and then asked, "What's your name."

"Bridget," the redhead answered in one breath. "Just Bridget."

The man's looked remained unchanged even when he said bluntly, "Beggars can't be choosers; you're in."

Bridget nearly dropped her jaw to the ground but quickly recomposed herself. "Really," she spoke in a high pitch. The redhead corrected herself by clearing her throat and repeated in a deeper tone. "I mean really?"

"Aye," the man nodded. "I'm sure there's at least **one **Christmas song someone your age might know." He pulled out a sheet of paper from a music stand and handed it to Bridget. "At least learn the lyrics from the song and stick with scales in E."

Bridget saluted the man and gave him a curt nod. "You got it, sir!"

"Go and practice it." The man ordered, "If you need to find a quiet place to look it over then do that."

The paper in Bridget's hand was pale white but contrasted to the black ink imprinted onto the parchment. Each musical note graced the paper with definite aesthetics with each stroke of the line and curve. It was beautiful along with the lyrics but that was Jack could see, Bridget on the other hand…

The redhead sighed loudly. She walked several yards from the gazebo and stared at the paper. Jack followed her with a concern look on his features. He saw that Bridget looked very nervous for some reason. Her eyes looked completely lost despite the fact they were clearly plastered on the paper.

"Is something wrong?" Jack leaned on his cane while trying to get a better angle to see if there was something on the paper he missed that was clearly distressing Bridget.

"Oh, nothing just slowly beginning to have some second thoughts about this whole thing." Bridget retained large eyes while gazing at the parchment.

"You acted excited about getting to sing earlier." Jack pointed out.

"Yeah well I'm just trying to…figure out this paper a little bit." Bridget sighed. "Man why can't this be in Braille?" Gray eyes soon enlarged even more. "Did I just say that out loud?"

Jack nodded, finally starting to get what the problem was. "Yes and you are having trouble with reading print." His eyebrows burrowed in thought. "Wait. When you showed me the newspaper the other night you were showing me the photo, not the article."

Bridget nodded. "I didn't learn about how to read normal words because of my blindness. And musical notes but that's reasonable." She crossed her arms with a slight pout.

Jack inched closer to see the paper and read over the words he could decipher. "Do you want to know the title of the song at least?"

"You can read?" Bridget blinked and shook her head. "Sorry that didn't come out right."

"No, no I get it." Jack silenced her with a raised hand. "A colonial boy living in the worst conditions possible, barely knowing how to read his own name."

"Jack," Bridget sighed. She knew he was joking but it still sounded like he was being mean spirited.

"Kidding," Jack smirked. "I actually could read pretty well. Read my family's bible front and back."

Bridget blinked. "Well that must be an accomplishment for you. I don't think I knew anyone who even went to church, let alone read the whole book about…well you know. So you actually read the song's title?"

With a nod Jack answered, "I read it and it is called…_My Favorite Time of Year_."

"Really?" Bridget smiled. "I actually know that song."

"You do?" Jack mirrored the girl's beam.

"Yeah, it's on my iPod. I know it by heart." Bridget sighed in relief while resting her hand on her face. "Here I thought the song they would chose would be Irish or something like that."

"Real luck there." Jack nodded with an amused smile. Bridget beamed in return, pleased that she was no longer worried.

"Alright!" The man's voice called out. "Time to get ready to perform!" He gave Bridget a firm look showing certainty that she would do what she promised.

"You know," Jack placed a reassuring hand on Bridget's shoulder. "You don't have to do this if you aren't **completely **ready."

Bridget held a determined look with her eyes staring at the gazebo. She smiled when she saw people starting to come back when the choirmaster announced that the performance was back on time.

"This will help North get Petrov back with no one at Santa's tent if they're all here. I don't have to be ready when I know a friend needs my help." She smiled slightly with a blush on her face. "Plus all those kids must have worked really hard on for today. It would be a shame if they could not get the chance to sing."

Jack's concerned look dropped when gazed at Bridget. Twice she had shown entirely different sides of her but did not let either one take complete control of her reasonable thinking. But was it enough for there to be a 'click' between them?

* * *

North sighed while drumming his fingers on a tree. "Not vhat is making me annoyed? Seeing leetle children run toward imposter or not getting anyvhere close to Petrov."

Bunny sighed. "Now you know how I feel when I see some bloke in a giant white suit with an oversized rabbit head handing out plastic eggs."

"It's not so bad," Tooth chided. "They at least help encourage children to believe in you. I don't really have someone unless you count dentists."

Bunny and North felt foolish. They shouldn't have acted so harsh. Clearly there were much more important things to worry about. Like how are they going to rescue Petrov?

"Attention everyone!" Bunny and North turned to see a man with dark hair calling out from the park's gazebo. "Thanks to a last minute addition we will be performing tonight for your listening pleasure."

Parents who were waiting for their children enticed them to head over to the choir instead of seeing Santa. One by one the crowd near the false Kris Kringle started to scatter. They were all heading for the gazebo.

North, and the rest of the Guardians, gasped in surprise and smiled happily. Bunny inclined his head around and held a look of confusion. "Where are Jack and the Big Ankle-biter?"

Tooth followed the direction Bunny stared at and looked around. "I don't see them either."

Sandy squinted his honey-golden eyes until he spotted something peculiar at the gazebo. He alerted the others to the best of his abilities, which meant it took him like five minutes until he got their attention.

North's eyes widened while he gawked at the gazebo. "Leetle Girl is vith carolers and Jack is still there? Sandy vhy didn't say so sooner?"

The Sandman frowned and silently wished that dreamsand came out of his ears like the old days.

"Why is she there?" Tooth asked curiously. "I can probably understand Jack but why is Bridget there?" Tooth turned her direction toward Bunny. "Do you have any ideas?"

Bunny stared at the pavilion intently and with his trained hearing could pick up the words "Mezzo-soprano," and "will help North get Petrov back." Bunny sighed. "I have a slight idea of what our Shelia's doing and I'm not sure how it's gonna play out."

* * *

"Man I hope Bridget really knows what she's doing," Jack stood behind the gazebo's left side away from any wondering eyes to peer at him by accident. He was a good yard or two away from where Bridget stood and she was looking very nervous. He ironically hoped that the redhead wasn't going to get cold feet.

"_I hope I know what I'm doing." _Bridget felt millions of eyes staring at her. All of them ready to judge her for the many mistakes she is certain she'll make. Most of the choir wasn't much of help with them giving her expressionless looks with no signs of encouragement. Jeez, was she standing near a choir or a jury?

"You're not getting cold feet, are you?" Bridget heard a choir member asked behind her, almost sounding like the person wanted her to back out.

"Nope," The redhead lied through her teeth. "Not me. that's not the sort of person I am."

The choirmaster made his announcement of the choir performing their first song with a new addition to the group. Bridget had heard the hesitation in the man's voice when he mentioned 'new addition.' She was starting to regret this whole situation until her eyes trailed to her left when she saw Jack crouching down being the gazebo's fenced railing. He gave her an encouraging smile and mouthed, "You'll do great," to her.

In less than a second Bridget felt every once of her self-esteem boost up to about a thousand points. She clasped the Christmas bell in her hands, the very same one the rest of the chorus had and opened her mouth with well-remembered lyrics pouring out.

* * *

The Big Four, plus Nightlight, were ecstatic to see that Santa was going to leave. He and some of his…elves showed their gratitude of the children leaving with celebratory drinks with the bottles they drank covered in brown paper bags.

North scowled. "Public drunkenness. You vill never see me like that anytime soon."

"We'll talk about your jealousy issues later," Bunny said. North frowned. "Right now we need to save that deer of yours if I reckon."

"Let's get going then," Tooth demanded. "Sandy can knock those men out long enough for us to rescue Petrov."

"I do not think ve need to have Sandy make Fake-me and elves sleep." North smiled in amusement when he thumbed toward the tent. All of them were sprawled out on the park lawn.

"We they emptied their amber fluid quicker than I thought." Bunny deadpanned while hopping near the unconscious drunkards.

A slight bleating groan could be heard. Petrov noticed Bunny the moment the pooka hopped out of his hiding spot and tried to pull himself up, hoping that his master was close by. The rope that held him down pulled slightly but remained fastened to the ground. Petrov grunted from the weight and fell down in disgrace.

"I can't believe I'm going to do something so degrading," Bunny muttered to himself as he hopped over to where Petrov's rope was and started to chew on it like it was the thinnest carrot in existence…. The worst tasting carrot in existence would be a better name. Bunny chewed on the rope as quick as his namesake and continued until the woven twine began to thin out.

SNIP! SNAP! The rope went and broke apart freeing the captured caribou in the process. North cheered and rushed over. "Yippa!" He embraced Petrov happily with tears coming out of his eyes. Petrov bleated blissfully, giving North affectionate licks when he reached the former Cossack's face.

"He really is acting like a dingo," Bunny commented to Sandy. North gave the pooka a dirty look.

"But at least he's safe," Tooth added while playing as the buffer.

"It vas so easy saving him too," North mused while stroking Petrov's neck. "The reason behind is still mystery to me."

Bunny half-smiled when he looked over the fence and stared directly at the gazebo. "I think I know the reason. Listen to that."

Tooth gasped and covered her mouth. She heard singing before but nothing like…well what she was hearing right now. It even silenced her Mini-fairies for the first time.

"Who ever thought…" North began.

* * *

"-that she would sound like that," Jack spoke breathlessly. Bridget was not only doing great, she was singing beautifully.

"_They sing a merry song and we all sing along,  
A festive melody that tells us Christmas time is here."_

The song was definitely meant for a lower pitch (a minor setback for Bridget) and the first few lines were a struggle for Bridget with so many people watching her front and back. She soon found a support for herself that got her calm and collected enough to continue without anymore complications. The other chorus members rang their bells in time to the _apaisé_, giving the song a grand cantata. Once she was more comfortable and acquainted with the setting Bridget became more active with her singing. She sung with a great passion that led everyone else to sing with the same energy. The girl had indeed created an _acceso_ between herself and the choir. None of them doubted her anymore, now that they have discovered how great of a singer Bridget was.

When the lyrics spoke of how bright the stars shined in the sky Bridget raised her hand and waved it for importance toward that part of the song. The sky even held a few twinkling lights with the sun setting close behind. Everything Bridget sang each word as if she truly believed the meaning behind the song's theme. Jack had a feeling that she really did understand what she was singing and sung each note with her heart.

"'_Cause it's Christmas time and it's my favorite time of year."_

Bridget couldn't but smile as every recited word rolled out of her tongue. Her arms were raised up high in the air while she held onto the word 'year.' She was singing. She was really singing. And more importantly it was a song that she believed truly held the spirit of the winter season and of course Christmas. It gave her the warmhearted feeling of nostalgia. The melody and lyrics helped Bridget get a good idea what the festive season was about and the desire to sing your heart out with no worries of what others thought because it's Christmas time! No one cared over something like that as long all the carolers all had fun doing it and enjoyed participating in an old but well loved tradition.

It was something that Jack started to see from how much emotion Bridget put into each word. How she spoke of simple actives a person would do at Christmas like decorating the tree, writing letters, wrapping presents, and bring up how jolly the season was seemed so sincere. But when she mentioned the one thing that she 'liked' the most held more emotion than anything.

"_When carol singers gather round,  
Angel voices fill the town,  
It's like the world is joining in,"  
_

"Noel, noel, noel," The chorus sung behind her and much to their collective surprise most of the audience joined in as well. The words Bridget spoke enticed everyone around her into believing every word she sung and slowly join in her belief. Her singing even helped them see the beauty a carol's hymn had to offer and started to imagine a beautiful setting for the holiday that slowly began to retake Dublin. It almost made them forget about the tragic kidnappings that plagued their minds earlier in the week before.

When Bridget smiled so excitedly at what she witnessed that she almost lost her place. She regained her stance like before sung the song's chorus with familiar ease. Her tone became expressive and more determined to sing out the praises caroling had on the Christmas season and why Bridget truly loved the holiday. Jack quietly laughed to himself when he realized that he almost sang along with the people. Bridget really knew how to sway an audience. The best part of it all was that Bridget looked so happy. Not once during the performance did she express and signs of anxiety or fear, she was in pure bliss. It reminded Jack so much of how she looked when she saw the Guardians for the time. There was so much joy in her face that moment, Jack was afraid he wouldn't see it again after Bridget gave up her bracelet. But here she was singing her heart out to over a hundred people she didn't know and still reveal a part of herself to them all without worry.

Jack didn't think it would get any better until one moment changed everything.

* * *

"Look at her," Tooth spoke with utter fondness, her eyes glued onto Bridget while she sang. "I don't think I haven't seen her like this before."

North smiled, "She certainly has a good voice."

Sandy wiped a tear out of his eye while Nightlight smiled in bliss and swayed back and forth in time to the ringing bells. The jovial resonance gave him the same feeling of when Katherine would read her lovely books just to him. Oh, how he missed her so much.

"Éponine has nothing on her," Bunny mused with a shake of his head.

Tooth made a noise in question to what Bunny said. He quietly muttered, "Nothing." Tooth was the last person he wanted to know about his…fascination with _Victor Hugo _inspired musicals. Bunny would never be able to live it down.

"Look," North half-whispered while pointing over the heads of people before them. "Leetle Girl has seen us. "Aw~ she is even singing to us directly now.

Bridget smiled while speaking the next verse. She clasped her hand in effect with openly admitting her belief while giving a huge smile to her heroes. The redhead kept her beaming look while glancing to her left. The five Guardians were confused by this behavior until seconds later they heard a thumping noise from the left side of the gazebo and flurries of snow shot out into the air. The audience members winced happily at the surprise change of weather. Not even the cold was going to damper the humans' moods.

"I think I know where Jack is," a ghost of a smile played on Edmund's features.

"_Christmas Eve,  
Still believe,"_

* * *

The moment Jack saw Bridget look at him with a bright smile on her face suffocated him. It was the most stunning smile she ever beamed and the whole moment left Jack breathless. His face turned a violent purple as he stepped back and tripped over a rock and collapsed on his back. That very moment ice and snow shot out of his staff as he tried to regain his breathing. It didn't help when all Jack could smell was the scent of apples.

"What just…" Jack uttered barely above a whisper. His heartbeat hammered with all of his insides alive making impossible for him to passout.

"_So excited,  
Can't sleep,  
When the morning comes,  
Church bells ring,"_

As if on cue the bells rung in time with Bridget's bridge. She raised both hands up wide in the air, not caring that her bell clanked loudly in variance. _  
_

"_And he's been!"_

It was at that moment Jack knew he was dead. Deader than a dead beaten-up dead horse on top of a pile dead-as-a-doornail-nails in the middle of Grim Street in Black Plague-ville. Because in no way in a million years would Jack have had the very thing Bunny told him would someday happen and it actually happen.

Everything finally _**clicked**_

….and the chain that made the sound connected to everything about Bridget. Her appearance, her red hair, her gray eyes trapped behind oval shaped glasses, her sharp but kind hearted attitude, her sense of humor, bravery, sincerity, her laugh…her voice, oh MiM her singing was so beautiful. So heartfelt and touching Bridget was speaking her feelings when she was singing, and when she smiled at Jack's way he a great fire consume his entire being but with it feeling like the warmth he swore he felt when Bridget hugged him on the nightmare ship those days ago.

For the first time in Jack's three hundred years of existing he wanted to be closer to the source of fire than ever before.

"…_See the stars tonight; they're shining bright,."_

"_Oh yes, yes they are." _The image of Bridget smiling replayed over and over through Jack's mind.

* * *

**Q-A: **Well here we go, chapter 22. Did you all know that is literally the longest chapter I've wrote in like ever. And the most reviews with 92 reviews WHOOT-WHOOT! :D I'm super sorry this took longer than originally planned but I made this in honor of all of my loyal fans. =D I can't believe I get to say that.

); On a sadder note, this chapter goes to my grandmother who sadly passed away this Friday the 17th. She promised one day to read one of my fanfiction or see me graduate

….hopefully where she is right now she'll get to read all the stories in the world she wants.

I LOVE YOU GRANNY!

Eamon –meaning Guardian of Riches.

O'Doherty - hurtful

Larrikin -mischievous, wild or carefree person.

Wowser -Killjoy.

Burr up- to get angry.

**Q-A :**Due to the atmosphere of how I feel along with the rest of my family I think it would only be fitting if I change my usually catchphrase to…

May you have Wrote and Rocked while doing it…


	23. Rules & Responsibilities

**Q-A: **Here we are with chapter 23! Whoot! This is where things will be heating up. Literally when Bridget starts to get some training for once! : D I'm excited aren't you? This chapter shouldn't be as long as the last one just to warn you so less grammar mistakes in this one I hope. XD

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters from the books that inspired RotG or even the film belong to me. Songs belong to their own people too.

* * *

_~Rules and Responsibilities~ _

Fire was something that many people compared Bridget to due to the color of her hair. She hated it when people said how red and bright it looked. Those were the same words she read about actual fire, which she despised even more. As a child she would get more upset with herself when she harmed classmates with her fire than they did. It not only ruined her reputation but also her chances of ever befriending kids her own age or getting closer to the ideal family she always wanted. Thus she started to repress her true emotions and kept a distance from other teenagers by a 39-½ foot pole.

The positive side of that methodology allowed Bridget to remain hidden and tried to be a normal blind person as possible. The negative side was that it did make it hard for Bridget to talk to anyone when she wanted to. Guys especially were difficult with them either being obnoxious to her or completely superficial when they learned of her 'visually challenged' condition. Most of the time they would avoid her after that or even talk behind her back to lie about how much of a burden she was while they dated or that she was so needy.

All of that was completely false!

Bridget never went out with anyone before and it would definitely not be with a jerk like that guy. Sometimes it got worse when her classmates even spread rumors about how **easy **it was to 'get it on' with the blind girl. This of made Bridget held even lower expectations for teenagers with what most of her classmates did to her.

The redhead spent even less time with teenagers than ever. Eventually her seclusion allowed the rumors to slowly died down which made school bearable once more. Still she rarely enjoyed being in class with knowing the true colors of her classmates. It was that reason the only comforts she found were in the community college classes she would take later on in Burgess and firstly, reading books of far-off places. Fairy tales were her favorite for being the most imaginative and for another reason.

Bridget had never admitted to anyone before telling it to the Tooth Fairy but the redhead absolutely adored the…romantic part of the stories. If anyone else asked she would say different. When in public Bridget usually scoffed at the idea of true love and vaguely explain her reasons for stating how unrealistic it sounded. But when she was by herself Bridget would hold those stories close to her heart. It was Cinderella all over again; she couldn't help but wish for her life to get better, which was the same boat with Bridget.

Bridget knew (or at least before meeting the Guardians) that wishing wasn't going to make things better for her and waiting for a **prince** **charming **would be a waste of her time. The relationships around her always ended up badly. Only in her books did Bridget ever find a happy ending for a couple. She knew wishing was a trivial pursuit which led to her belief in promises arose. Every morning she'd wake up and remember the exact time the sun would rise. At the moment she felt the sunrays on her skin Bridget would close her eyes tightly and think up a new promise for each day and try to fulfill it.

"_I want to try and make at least one friend today please," _Bridget had promised. She made herself that promise on the day when Thanksgiving break finally ended. Normally Bridget would make a more realistic promise for her situation but for some reason on that day she decided to form a promise on making a friend. Fate, surprisingly, played its hand on that day and led Bridget into making a new friend indeed.

Jack Frost became the first real friend Bridget had in a long time. Coincidently, Bridget was the same thing for the Spirit of Winter as well only with him not having one in three hundred years. Despite some turbulence and a few bumps at the beginning, their friendship did overcome the odds. Sadly for Bridget it seemed to overcome a little too well.

Befriending Jack was great at first but it got very hard for Bridget with her denying there was something else. Something much more. That something led to many awkward moments between the redhead and frost spirit. The very something that frightened the girl with old fears of how unsuccessful relationships were for other people and a good case in point was that she already knew who Jack felt for.

"I can't believe you could sing like that."

Bridget blinked; her thoughts went away once she heard Toothiana compliment her.

"Yeah well," Bridget clasped her hands and swayed back and forth. "I told you I had good pipes," she smiled bashfully.

"You sure did, Shelia," Bunny mirrored her expression, albeit more confidently than hers. "Who ever thought you'd sound that good though."

"Just some practice for me and all." With twiddling thumbs a blushing Bridget looked to the ground. "I just had to do it to keep people from going over to where…Santa was."

North chuckled, leaned over to where Bridget stood and spoke kindly, "That vas a very kind thing for you to do. If it vas not done I might not have been reunited to Petrov." The ex-Cossack laughed once more while stroking his reindeer's chin. Petrov trotted over to where Bridget stood and snorted at the girl playfully.

Jack felt his heat skip a beat when Bridget's tickled laugh fell into his ears. He gulped a breath of air silently while he quickly glanced his eyes at her direction before they retreated back. Oh MiM, he felt like such a creep.

"So~" Bridget kicked a pebble, the tiny stone bounced a pace and a half. "What exactly is the next part of the plan?"

All seven of the Guardians and human had left an hour ago. It would have taken a shorter amount of time if not so many people came over to Bridget and flatter her. With help from Sandy who 'persuaded' everyone to go home to sleep the group was able to leave that area of the park and to be far from the Santa tent as possible.

North formed some thoughts until declaring, "Ve'll need to find a vay out of this park and not attract attention to ourselves."

Bunny pensively stared at the ground until and replied, "It'll be tricky to bolt out of this place with people still running around."

Jack recovered from Bridget's laughter long enough for him to think something and come up with an idea. He smirked his usual smirk while half-dragging his staff to the ground, freezing a trail of frosted grass. "To bad there isn't someway we could just blend in and hide in plain sight." Jack shrugged in false naïvety before the smirk twisted into a crooked grin. "I mean it's not like there's any 'festive' event happening tonight that we could just, oh I don't know, go into and-"

"Jack," North interjected, raising a warning finger. "You better not be suggesting vhat I think you are implying."

Jack feigned a look of confusion and pointed to himself. "Me." He scoffed before talking seriously. "I'm only saying that if the police are gonna look for museum thieves **and **animal adductors we should try and get out of Dublin as soon as possible."

"And you think putting us in parade vill help?" North asked incredulously.

"Not all of us," Jack trailed off while his eyes gleamed with a hidden emotion toward a certain redhead. Everyone else looked over at Bridget who held a shocked expression that soon formed into an unamused frown.

"I am not going to like this plan at all, am I?" Bridget crossed her arms. Jack smiled and walked up to her. Her heartbeat quickened when Jack somehow turned his look of mischief into a mien holding so much sincerity Bridget almost thought her organ burst.

With his newfound revelation and halfway 'clicking' Jack felt like Bridget was the last person he wanted to get into potential trouble but the last thing he wanted was for her to be confirmed as the culprit behind the thefts. Getting her and everyone else out of Dublin has had become Jack's top priority.

"I know you won't like the plan right away but it could be our only chance to get out of here," Jack ignored the sound of his pounding heart and placed his hands on Bridget's shoulders. "The last thing I or everyone else wants to see you get arrested for stuff you technically didn't do. The ideal will sound crazy but it might be the only one we have right now." Jack sounded less of an assertive person with his tone becoming pleading almost.

Bridget almost felt like passing out right now. Jack was unintentionally giving her the kicked puppy-dog look. She read enough books to know how a person begging would appear to come across. Big eyes widen enough so the person being afflicted would see the emotion behind it, and worst of all Jack also put up…

…The smile.

The theme of _Psycho _to be used for this moment is much appreciated.

_"Oh_ god," Bridget could barely contain herself. Jack was giving her a small smile that was both sympathetic and…cute. Everything about the smile was so pleading and adorable that Bridget was ready to melt. And having firepowers would make that thought seem very realistic in real life. "_Damn my stupid crush and the Mini-fairies in my stomach!" _

Bridget swallowed an invisible lump and sighed. "Fine~" the redhead pouted in defiance but reluctantly consented. Jack grinned, pleased with Bridget cooperating.

"So," Jack beamed while turning toward his fellow Guardians. "Who wants to hear my idea?"

Tooth pondered for a moment and then said, "If Bridget's on board with it I'm sure I'll be…" her eyes suddenly increased in size. They darted around as Tooth clutched to her cane and sauntered slightly as though she was possessed. Bridget eyed the sight until Tooth called out with her hand pointing, "1st lower molar two blocks from here!" She turned around and situated near Jack. "Sorry Jack I need to take a rain check on the plan and go collect that tooth."

The Mini-fairies chirped in excitement at the prospect of retrieving a lost tooth and more importantly a new memory.

"But Tooth ve must stay in a firm group," North said flippantly. "Ve can't split up just for a-" Suddenly North sensed a blunt weapon a hair's breadth from his chin.

Tooth held Bridget's former long cane with the same sway as a fencing sword. "Don't ever say something negative about my teeth collecting North," Tooth's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I think we all know how important they are to a child. I should even be lucky I can even sense any teeth thanks to that blasted barrier over our heads." She lowered the cane from North's chin with the end now over his heart. "I really hate threatening my friends but you left with no choice. I will collect that 1st lower molar or so help me."

North stared at the Tooth fairy in both shock in awe. He blinked. "Very vell, I shouldn't stop you from dong your job." The Guardian of Wonder placed a hand over his heart and spoke sincerely. "My apologies."

Tooth's poker face slowly shaped back into a look of understanding. "All right then. Let's get going girls," Tooth held up her handbag near her face and spoke directly toward her Mini-fairies. "We have a tooth that needs collecting." The Mini-fairies chirped unquestioningly toward their queen and 'mother.'

As Tooth walked forward to where a pathway out of the park stood Bridget held an expression similar to when she saw Tooth for the first time. "Tooth is a total badass." Her gaping soon turned into an excited look.

"She is awesome," Bridget exclaimed. "Besidessandy!" She quickly added to the side. "I never seen her act like that and it's so cool how she stood up to you like that, North."

The former Cossack blushed and smiled sheepishly, "Vell she has alvays been a tough varrrior. But she hasn't been in field in long time so she became more soft spoken in a sense."

"Still I'm amazed how incredible she acted," Bridget shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "She is like my hero right now."

Bunny breathed out a sigh that oddly enough sounded more of a laugh than a breath of air. "Yeah she is." The pooka became quiet when he noticed Jack eye him suspiciously.

* * *

"Here we are," Tooth said at last while standing in front of a townhome. The rest of the group stood behind her with similar demeanors of exhaustion. The day's exciting events was starting to take its toll on them.

Bridget yawned slightly but tried to prevent it from starting by clamping her mouth shut. It was halfway successful but made her cheeks puff up like a blowfish. Nightlight laughed while writing the comparison in his book. The redhead frowned and pouted in defiance.

"How are you going to go inside?" Bridget asked after walking to be near Tooth's side.

"It'll be difficult with the screens on the windows," Tooth observed while looking at the glass. "I would go through the chimney if this house had one." She stepped back until she was near the middle of the road and shook her head. "Nope, no chimney."

"I know that feeling vell," North chuckled in understanding. "That's vhen snow globes come in handy." Petrov shifted his eyes as if he was rolling them.

"I'm afraid I might have to do it the old fashion way, North." Tooth looked at the window a second time until she spotted something she did not notice earlier. She put her hand inside the bag and fished out three of her fairies. Baby Tooth, Sweet Tooth, and a newly nicknamed, Sharp Tooth. She was called Sharp Tooth because Bridget noticed she was the most assertive of the little flock. "Girls, time in initiate Tooth Recovery #9."

The Mini-fairies gave their queen salutes and were placed near the window screen. There was a hole inside the screen large enough for the fairies to slink through. With the window open they successfully snuck inside. Tooth congratulated her girls as they went inside. Bridget walked a few steps closer to get a better view while she got to see (to some extant) how the Tooth Fairy worked.

The three little fairies climbed from the inner window's perch and shimmied down using the window blind's cord like a gym class rope. Once they were on the floor they hurried along until they reached the foot of the bed. With the use of a dark checkered button shirt that was hanging on the bed frame the Mini-fairies climbed up once more toward the bed. Bridget watched on while she watched on.

Sweet Tooth tucked her wings in while she hesitantly walked to where the young boy slept. She stared at the child long enough to see he wasn't showing any signs of stirring. With a wave of her hand Sweet Tooth motioned the others to advance forward.

Tooth monitored the whole situation with great attention as the remaining fairies silently encouraged their friends.

"Those three are pretty good," Bridget whispered toward Tooth.

Tooth did not turn her head or even blink before responding, "They do their job well and shush!" Tooth warned Bridget. "We have to keep quiet or else…"

The sound of groaning could be heard and everyone's eyes widened like deer's in front of headlights. "Sandy," Tooth whispered nippy. The Sandman became all ears. "Put the child asleep. Now."

Without question Sandy drew some dreamsand off of his clothes and blew it through the screen. The sand traveled over the Mini-fairies until it reached the boy's head. Just as it looked like he was about to open his eyes the sleepy dust already began its magic and the boy dozed right back into dreamland.

Collections of 'phew's' were exchanged until Tooth reminded everyone of the situation they were still in. The Mini-fairies went straight back to work. Sharp Tooth and Sweet Tooth lifted one side of the pillow while Baby Tooth held a euro coin. She scurried into the pillow with a proud look that made Sharp Tooth roll her eyes. That golden-feathered fairy was just too cocky with being Tooth's favorite. Sweet Tooth glared at the other extension of their boss but did not make a peep. Seconds later Baby Tooth crawled out with a little white molar in her hands.

In reverse of the routine the Mini-fairies climbed out of the window screen. Tooth smiled happily and complimented on their work. She did reprimand Sharp Tooth for acting rude toward Baby Tooth. Bridget only needed two seconds to remember that Tooth had telepathy with the Mini-fairies. The group began to walk again with Jack leading everyone to where his…idea was while Tooth looking longingly at the tooth before putting it in her satchel.

"I have to admit I'm now starting to feel sorry for the Tooth Mice for all the work they do for the 'European Division.' It's so hard to do all that teeth collecting without flying." Tooth paused before adding worriedly, "I hope they won't mind that I collected that tooth."

"I'm sure they'll be okay with it," Bunny heartening said. "I'd be surprise if any of them were even on this rock."

Tooth laughed, her pink amethyst eyes crinkling as they shimmered. "Of course Bunny. I'm happy when you remind me of things like that."

The pooka looked rather unpleasant for a moment before sputtering something incoherently and hurried to follow where Jack was walking. Tooth frowned in confusion and looked at the others. North and Sandy shrugged while Nightlight held a look of forlorn. Bridget bit her lower lip while thinking; _"Something tells me there's a problem between Tooth and Bunny…I hope they can figure it out soon."_

* * *

"How much longer until we see this 'idea' of yours?" Bridget asked Jack. "And why are we in here? The last time we were in a place like this I ended up getting separated from you guys." The whole group walked through an alleyway, the only sounds that were heard came from the padding of their feet. Still, Bridget felt uneasy. The memories of Liam accusing her of murder came roaring back until she felt something ice cold touch her hand.

Jack noticed Bridget's troubled expression. He instinctively clasped her hand remembering how that would comfort Emily whenever she grew anxious. Bridget shifted her eyes, startled by the sudden coldness Jack supposed. She looked over to where Jack was and he attempted to give her a look of reassurance. Surprisingly Bridget didn't try to pull her hand away and even tried smiling keenly at the winter spirit. It was like she wasn't bothered by the cold at all.

Bridget felt her heart rate quicken when she felt a slight squeeze in her hand. The winter spirit smiled crookedly and pressed her hand again. A small blush played on Bridget's features until it grew redder when she heard someone cough.

Both teenagers turned to see North slowly bringing his hand away from his mouth with a slightly amused smile on his features. The rest of the Guardians held similar looks. "I think Leetle Girl asked you question earlier, Jack."

Bridget smiled awkwardly and stepped aside, her hand slinking out of Jack's hold. Jack momentarily frowned from the loss of contact before remembering where he was. "Well…we should get there pretty soon." His ears soon heard the sound of pounding drums and he smiled wickedly. "Actually we should be there really soon."

The Guardians and human followed Jack as he excitedly hurried along, occasionally laughing for whatever reason.

"_God, I can't believe that happened," _Bridget almost touched her hand, already missing the cool touch Jack possessed. She frowned before shaking her head. _"No, no, no! I can't afford to think like this. No matter how much my crush is going to affect me I won't let it harm Jack with his Emily…even if he doesn't remember her."_

"Here we are," Jack grinned before spreading his arms toward the end of the alley. Six heads poked through the entrance and widened their eyes in astonishment when they saw people in preparation for some sort of event.

"Is this the Christmas parade?" Bridget titled her head around. All over the street she saw floats with people and props were settled.

Jack smiled. "Yep. I was playing it by ear when looking for this place."

"And you brought us here because…" Bunny trailed off on purpose while eyeing some carts being pulled horses with slight nervousness. He wouldn't want to get stomped by a trotting hoof.

"We can get through the city without being spotted by being part of the parade."

Bridget gave Jack an exasperated look. "You're kidding, right?"

Jack smiled and shook his head. Bridget lowered her lip in worry. "You're not kidding."

"C'mon you said you would be alright with the plan," Jack frowned while jerking his right shoulder. His eyes softened, looking hurt from Bridget's blunt response.

The redhead felt like groaning. _"Seriously Mr. Man in Moon did you never once mention to Jack what affect he can have with that sad expression on his face. Dammit! He's still looking at me with those eyes." _

After what felt like the millionth mental battle Bridget had to deal with she sighed and answered monotonously, "Yes I said I would agree with the plan."

"So then you're okay then?" Bridget almost wanted to cry when she saw those eyes again. Wordlessly Bridget nodded. Jack grinned-Mini-fairies soon became comatose-"Great."

"I'm not sure if I follow plan." North raised his hand. "How vill ve not be seen?"

"I already thought of a plan for that." Jack smirked when his eyes landed on one non-moving vehicle in particular.

"I'm starting to get worried when I see him smirk like that," Edmund Aster said to Sandy with a shook of his head.

* * *

"Quit moving your foot," Bunny growled. "Your feet are bloody behemoth, North."

"Sorry," North apologized while shifting in the tight vicinity. Already he was feeling uncomfortable with how small everything felt. North was use to wide-open spaces or at least something bigger than what he was tucked into at the moment.

"Sandy let go off my foot." Tooth spoke in a less harsh tone than her other trapped companions.

"…."

"Oops, sorry Nightlight, thought you were Sandy."

"Everybody calm down," Jack's voice spoke up. "We can talk as much as we want but we can't sound like we're panicking otherwise Bridget will get the wrong idea."

"I'm already getting the wrong idea, Jack. This one." The redhead mentally scowled. She remained smiling though in order for people to not notice her and think something was odd.

At that very moment Bridget was holding the reins of a deep-rooted looking cart pulled by Petrov. The cart was wooden with festive wreaths nailed on the side with plastic red holly berries and felt ribbons tied to the evergreen. Bridget wore a traditional Santa hat while leading the faux-present filled cart through the paraded street. Underneath all the imitation presents was a sheet where the magical members of the team hid away while Bridget sat on the front seat.

A procession of people traveled trough the street with a few carts identical to Bridget's in both size and (thankfully) animal drawing. Several floats cruised in front of the carts and a few more behind them in a slow pace while snow-white confetti fell from the sky. It was if a giant Christmas cloud flew over Dublin overnight and puked a blob of colorful red and greens while generic cookie-cutter winter songs streamed through the airwaves dipped in liquid candy canes. For once Bridget was starting to think that too much of a **wonderful **thing wasn't all that great.

North poked through the sheet and whispered toward Bridget. "You know, Leetle Girl, I think you should hold your vrists up more to hold Petrov better in case ve need to go faster."

Bridget momentarily frowned then deadpanned, "North we are going like 7 miles an hour. Probably even slower, I don't think speed really matters. And don't backseat drive me."

"I'm surprised how Wisdom Tooth has adjusted so well with handling the cart and reins." Tooth said loud enough for Bridget to hear through the sheet's fabric. Bridget smiled; at least Tooth was being a happy camper and staying under the sheets.

"All I'm doing is steering in one direction." Bridget smiled toward the cheering audience and waved toward some people. They shouted approvingly in return. "I'm not the one that stopped this cart halfway through the parade's checking point and knocked out the real actors before dragging them toward the alleyway we just came out of."

"I'm just surprise that they didn't ask for any identification from her though," Bunny cogitated while his voice sound slightly muffed from the fabric.

"Sandy would've just knock the people who asked anyway," Jack snickered.

"I must admit Jack this plan is vorking vell so far." North congratulated the Guardian of Fun.

"I had a feeling you'd like it." Bridget could hear Jack smirking. She rolled her eyes before returning to her happy disposition when she remembered the situation she was in.

"We're not out of the woods yet guys," Bridget reminded everyone. She kept a firm grip on the reins while her remained on contrived happy. "Seriously though I have no idea how people do this. It's so boring sitting through a long line of traffic like this. I really can't understand how people like these parades live. It must be a boring job." She noticed Petrov was slowing down a bit and then snapped the reins once in order to get the reindeer moving again. Yep, she was bored as hell right now and she was driving a sleigh.

After waving at a couple Gardaí Bridget smiled honestly for once and said to the Guardians, "Personally I think your jobs are the coolest so far."

"Oh~" Toot cooed. "That's very sweet of you to say that, Wisdom Tooth."

"I mean it," Bridget replied while making a turn at a corner. North tried asking if she needed help until Bunny shushed him. "I hear how a lot of adults aren't very fond of their jobs that much. Even Carol told me of the times she felt like pulling her hair from the all the stress she was getting from her current job. But you guys on the other hand act so happy while doing your work. At least from the weak glance I got from tonight with the tooth collecting and putting that kid to sleep."

"Well," Jack dragged out while gloating, "Normal people don't have jobs like ours."

"_I swear he's been flirting with me since the parade's been starting." _Bridget thought while Tooth disagreed with Jack's words. "Our jobs aren't exactly the perfect ones either. We all have a lot of things that need to be done in order to still have children that believe in us."

"So it's not all sugar and lollies," Bunny added.

Bridget frowned slightly when a thought came through her head. "You know I've had this idea in my head for a while now…wouldn't it be easier if you did have more kids actually know you were real?"

The back end of the cart became abnormally quiet. Even with the loud, festive music playing through large speakers over the street the cart felt silent and untouched by it. Bridget slowly began to bite her lower lip. Maybe what she asked them wasn't such a good- "It's not that your vords do not sound logical Bridget," North began in a steady tone. "There is reason vhy ve keep our presence hidden unless necessary."

"But would showing kids you exist **be **necessary? I mean not a lot of people judge things as badly as it was like in the past. People are smart."

"That's what I said at the first meeting I got dragged into," Jack recalled with slight agony.

"While a person or child can be smart Shelia, in a group they behave just like sheep; dumb followers of the heard that are panicky and jumpy gits. Think about it ya Big Ankle-biter. It's better if humans live their lives the way they do. If we interfered in it too much…"

Bridget sighed. "I get it. The world isn't ready to know." She remained quiet until stating as a matter of fact. "But I still think kids should know. They seem a lot happier when they learn that the very people they believe in are real. I should know since all Jamie ever talks about is you guys."

Bridget heard Tooth breath out a sigh then spoke, "North is right Bridget. It's not like we don't want them to believe in us, it's just how the way things work. You need to understand that the children of the world **must **believe in us. Besides kids normally don't need a reason to believe in us…they just do."

The redhead silently shook her head. She wasn't going to get a straight answer anytime soon from these guys. "I guess," Bridget shrugged. _"I still wish more kids believed, then Jamie and the others wouldn't have gotten made fun of this year."_

Bridget's thoughts went away when she narrowed her eyes. "Guys," Bridget called out to the Guardians. "I think we about to have some company." Several Gardaí could be seen at the end of the parade's end with most of them inspecting floats and cross-examining several employees. She looked down to her feet where her backpack lied and bit her lower lip. All three of the Tuatha Dé Danann's treasures were inside and two of them were recently…borrowed from the Old Library in Trinity.

After Bridget explained verbally of what she saw, North said in a stern voice, "Leetle Girl, I think it's time to take a needed detour."

* * *

The Gardaí asked one performer if there were any unusual signs he had seen when the sound of a large animal bellowing was heard. In a matter of seconds a wooden cart with Christmas presents pouring out came zooming past the two Irishmen, forcing them both to leap out of the way. Nothing else could be remembered when all they saw was a strange layer of golden dust falling midair and landing on the officer and several of his partners. His eyes became drowsy and started to think that the asphalt ground looked very comfortable to sleep on.

* * *

"Klassno!" North chuckled jubilantly while taking the reins from Bridget. She breathed out, "I can't believe we just did that."

"I can't believe that plan actually worked," Bunny said while playfully elbowing Jack's side.

"I can't believe we got out of there alive." Tooth sighed in relief while affectionately petting her Mini-fairies to comfort herself more than herself.

"I had to admit though," Bridget turned toward Jack and smiled at him. "That was pulled off very well."

Jack smiled, pleased with the sudden compliment. North smiled secretly while the idea he had in his thoughts was starting to look more realistic with each passing day. Bridget yawned and stretched her arms.

"Looks like you're getting tuckered out, ya Big Ankle-biter." Bunny smiled in amusement.

"I'm-" Bridget yawned once again. "Fine really. I should be awake until we find a road to go on or-" she opened her mouth widely as her eyes could barely stay open.

"I think ve'll go find a place to rest outside of city." North replied as he maneuvered Petrov through empty streets and quickly steered away from cars passing by. He even drove in a gentler pace as Bridget started to doze off. Speaking of Bridget, the redhead gulped a lungful of air as she stretched her arms once more. She was so tired that she even started leaning back. That wasn't a smart choice with the shotgun not having anything for the back to rest on. Jack responded quickly with grabbing Bridget in the nick of time. Surprisingly Bridget didn't wake up and instead mumbled something about apples and then went asleep.

Jack was bemused by Bridget's behavior until he remembered where he was. The Guardians, much to Jack's surprise, did not snicker or jab at him with embarrassing remarks. Instead Nightlight and Tooth shifted near the cart's sides in order for Bridget to sleep near the end. With some difficulty Jack half-carried and half-dragged Bridget toward the side while also trying to remove her herculean grip around his waist. That did earn a few giggles from the others, which were silenced when Jack gave them a dirty look.

"Here you go," Jack said once Bridget was placed to the ground. He was about to stand up when he felt something clutch his arm. In a heavy-lidded state Bridget asked, "You aren't gonna leave me, are you?"

Jack found her drowsy state of mind cute and shook his head. "Naw, we're friends remember." He tried to leave but Bridget's grip only became stronger.

"But whatta 'bout the fi-" a speed bump North had the displeasure of driving over stopped Bridget from talking momentarily. She winced and said 'ow' from when her head whacked the ground.

Jack sighed in relief from the interruption, knowing that Bridget wasn't aware of what she almost uttered. "I'll still be here even with that," he half-whispered.

"Even when I'm far away from you," Bridget asked with her eyes closing and another yawn escaping from her mouth.

Jack nodded. "Even when you're far away."

"Far, far away?"

The winter spirit chuckled at Bridget's silliness. "Even that far."

"Good," Bridget closed her eyes finally and showed no signs of letting Jack's arm go. "Did anybody ever tell ya your skin's very sof…." She was too tired to finish and started to finally go to sleep.

Jack reluctantly pulled his arm away. He gently removed Bridget's glasses and placed them inside her backpack. After that Jack slowly shuffled away to where North was. While he crawled there he didn't miss the smug faces on his fellow Guardians. Jack glared at them once more until he reached shotgun.

"Don't say a word," Jack lifted a finger near North who looked like he was about to speak.

"I vasn't." North denied weakly. "I only thought you'd like to know that ve vill be reaching city limits in a good tventy minutes and should find a nice place in forest to hide."

"You do know that Ireland is one of the least forested countries in the world right?" Bunny asked in a bored tone.

North cursed every Russian composers name he could think of for the rest of the ride. He was starting to regret about only traveling around the world one night a year.

* * *

Sunlight was blinking through the trees with the only sounds being the occasional bird calling out to another. Bridget shifted her weight until she was lying on her back and groaned slightly when she felt morning dew sticking to her face. She wiped her face in discomfort and winced when she realized there was a bad taste in her mouth. Bridget silently decided to start brushing her teeth **before **she went to sleep.

Once she got some crust out of her eyes, along with the dew, she noticed something unusual about her situation. She didn't have her glasses on. Bridget almost panicked until she smelled something in the air. It was similar to the scent of smoke.

"Their ve go," North's voice called out.

"North," Tooth made a shushing noise. "Not so loud. Bridget is still sleeping." Bridget shook her head in amusement. She pushed herself up and called out to whom she was assuming was North. "Do you know where my glasses are, North?" She leaned near the cart's ledge with her arms holding onto the smooth wooden railing.

"Jack put them in packback last night."

Bridget laughed, North still had a little trouble with English words apparently. "Where is my 'packback?'"

"Over here," Jack's voice was barely a few inches where Bridget rested her arms. She yelped in alarm and almost fell over but caught the railing again. "Are we really continuing this whole charade?"

Jack laughed and grinned cockily. "If I keep getting that response from you then yes."

"_Yep he is totally flirting." _Bridget sighed.

"I took it out from the cart to get the cauldron out," Jack explained a few minutes later while taking the egg-shaped glasses out and handing them to Bridget.

"So that's why I'm smelling smoke." Bridget ruminated over while putting her glasses on. She smiled when the familiar colors and shapes appeared and she could see once more. The redhead winced slightly from the sudden expounded amount of sunlight but then blinked her eyes to adjust them properly. The entire group and cart were surrounded by a radiance of bright green. Bridget felt the same feeling of nostalgia she had when she saw Bunny's green eyes for the first time.

The grass was green with sunlight streaking it to appear a paler color. The trees, despite the time of year, were green all over with moss covering most of the trunk and branches. Plants with leafy leaves imitating the delicate physique of lace sprinkled around the grass. More of those plants stood near a bubbling brook a few yards away from the apparent campsite.

North, Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy, and Nightlight sat around a small fire over the larger Dagda's Cauldron with red watery soup boiling inside the stone pot.

"We asked for some tomato soup to eat for breakfast." Tooth said while handing a bowl of the meal toward Bridget. She happily accepted the meal when she realized how hungry she was.

After swallowing a few cupfuls of the soup Bridget asked out of curiosity, "Where are we anyway? I thought Bunny said there weren't any forests in Ireland."

Bunny barked a laugh that sounded more sheepish than bitter. "I said Ireland is one of the most defrosted places in the world but I didn't say there weren't any trees left. And to answer your first question we're somewhere on _Tibradden Mountain_."

Bridget walked around aimlessly while looking at the tall pine trees that almost covered the entire sky. "How long did it take to get here? This looks like an entirely different world from Dublin."

"Not too long," North answered after sipping some of his soup. "At least ten or so miles to get here by cart. Much longer than most traveling vith having only one reindeer and no flying."

Petrov, who was grazing in some grass a few feet away, snorted loudly at North's direction. Obviously he heard North complaining and was not at all amused by it.

"Is it anywhere close to that Hill of Tara place?" Bridget sat down on the ground between Tooth and Nightlight before happily accepting another helping of soup from Sandy as he stood up to get more for himself and her.

"No," Jack answered bluntly. "We're further south. According to the map we're almost 40 miles southwest from there."

Bridget vociferously groaned. "Seriously? It's already the 6th of December." Her face became blank and then asked earnestly, "Today is the 6th right?"

North hummed with a nod while he was sipping his soup, some of it staining his beard. Bridget hid a chuckle. "Well that must mean we have around…" she paused while thinking the numbers in her head. "16 days until the Winter Solstice. Which means we have to get going."

The Guardians held despondent looks which made Bridget ask, "We are going to be heading out soon right?"

"Yea-no," North shook his head. "Vhile ve pulled cart up here ve heard campers down near a road say that their vill be rain tonight. Vith thunder and lightning and everything. I can't let Petrov led us through that." He motioned Bridget to stand near him. Bridget stood up and inched closely to where North sat.

The ex-Cossack whispered to Bridget, "He is frightfully afraid of thunder like rest of reindeer are." North visibly winced when he remembered the pre-battle in Burgess when his poor 'children' fled when Pitch made the sky rumble and shake with bright flashes of light.

"Can we just leave before any of that happens?"

North sighed and with a shake of his head answered, "Ve are too high up mountain. It'll take all day to reach stable ground and storm is supposed to be all over county according to the campers."

Bridget sighed. _"Why do I have a feeling this is all the Morrígan's doing?" _Who else would want to make them all miserable as possible? Not mention Mother Nature herself was unable to penetrate the barrier. Bridget felt her stomach clench when she thought of the wind. Perhaps the Morrígan also made the wind move. Maybe she wanted them to know where the treas-

"I said, oi, Bridget!"

In almost an instant Bridget sensed her thoughts going away. She inwardly sighed and turned to see Bunny sitting near North. The redhead almost blushed when she realized she must've been staring off into space when she was thinking earlier.

"Um," Bridget smiled sheepishly. "Yes what did you want to ask me, Bunny?"

"Just thought you'd like to know that we could start on that Tai Chi practicing today if ya'd like." Bunny smiled with his nose wrinkling a bit.

Bridget gaped slightly. "Really? I kinda thought-"

"Oi, I made a promise with you didn't I?" Bunny smiled crookedly while placing a wittle paw on Bridget's right knee. "And a pooka never breaks his promises. They're like eggshells; once it's broken it can't be mended."

"Uh~ hate to break it to you, Cottontail but you can fix an egg with glue." Jack pointed out. Bunny frowned in seriousness and crossed his arms at Jack. "It's supposed to be a metaphor, ya dipstick."

Bridget laughed for being very amused at Bunny's expression than Jack's explanation. "I get what you meant Bunny. And yes I would very much like to learn Tai Chi from the Master of 'Crikey' himself." Her smile broadened when Bunny frowned at her as well.

"Let's just get started once we're finished eating," Bunny spoke in a tone that sounded like he wished to drop the teasing.

"We will train with a montage music from _Rocky_?" Bridget couldn't help herself.

"What? I thought you wanted to learn from me, not some bloody stone."

All-important thoughts were dashed away while Jack and Bridget could barely contain their laughter.

* * *

After recovering from the fits of laughter Bridget was well enough to begin training. Bunny insisted that the two of them should find a place with even ground to practice on. With some unexpected help from Jack they found themselves in an open field near the top of the mountain. The frost spirit explained that he found it while exploring earlier while Bridget was still sleeping. It took the three an hour to find it with Bridget having trouble catching up with the more agile duo and her almost passing out from near exhaustion.

"God, I really need to work up more." Bridget panted heavily while Jack helped her up.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else," Jack spoke worriedly.

"Are you kidding? This just proves how bent out of shape I am. Plush I feel great with all this smell of dead leaves, humid air and moss. Who knew nature smelled like this?"

"People who go outside," Bunny muttered. He cleared his throat before saying directly toward the two, "Okay let's get moving. We don't have all day."

Bridget smiled heartily at Jack and straightened herself up. "Can't let the Bunny-man waiting."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Jack heard Bunny call out while he started to feel more breathless than Bridget.

Eventually Jack pointed toward a pathway up the peak that led to possibly one of the most beautiful sights Bridget ever laid eyes on. The field looked like something from another world. It was a field of gold with the tendrils shifting about as if the whole scene was an ocean.

"Wow," Bridget gasped in awe. She stared at the whole landscape with a small smile while looking at the grass with slight hesitation. The place was so beautiful that Bridget grew afraid that if she stepped on the field it would ruin the whole image.

"A thousand mile journey begins with the first step, you know." Bunny said wisely at the redhead. She smiled sheepishly while still looking at the grass.

"Right, I knew that." With a heavy heard Bridget took a step over the meadow and sighed when the grass crunched under her feet. She silently apologized to the field was she continued vandalizing it with her feet. Bunny told her to stop walking once she reached the middle. The pooka joined her later while standing on a rock. The grass was tall enough to reach Bridget's knees so Bunnymund needed a place to elevate himself from the ground.

Bunny tapped his foot on the stone to get Bridget's undivided attention when she gawked the scenery a little too much to his liking. Bunny tucked his arms in while standing perfectly straight with his back erect. He nodded toward Bridget who quickly understood what he was asking and mimicked his stance. Jack leaned on his cane with a small smile. He was happy to see Bridget trying something new.

The first thing you need to know about Tai Chi Chuan is that it's a way of life first before being used as an offensive force of battling."

Bridget widened her eyes in amazement. "Cool I didn't know it could be used for fighting. I only thought old people used it to get better back support or something."

"Ha! She just called you old Bunny," Jack wiped a tear from his eye.

Bunny frowned and sighed exasperatedly. "Frost, when I get taller than you again I will throw enough egg bombs at you to smell worse than a dead chook."

"I'd like to see you try," Jack called back.

Bridget drew a blank live over her mouth and said, "Hey guys, as much as your daily threatening amuses me I still have learned nothing about defending myself yet."

The pooka shook his head. "Shelia's right. Sorry ya Big Ankle-bitter, let's get back to bizzo." Bunny cleared his throat and emptied his mind with anything that wasn't Tai Chi. "As I was saying, Tai Chi originated from Taoism. The idea was for a person to experience tranquility of mind and improvement of temperament. Taoists learned the movements of Tai Chi by observing the movements of animals themselves."

Bunny smiled roguishly. "While rabbits may not be a grand influence in Martial Arts like the tiger or crane but I learned to act with patience to understand the routine of wild beasts and assimilate into more familiar movements. The ones I'll be teaching you will be based on the very nature we are standing on right now."

Bridget couldn't help but smile as well. Something about Bunny's attitude did that to her.

Sal blinked characteristically while resting on Jack's shoulder. The winter spirit smiled in amusement before warning playfully, "You better not get any of your mucus on me." Bridget had asked Jack earlier to keep the salamander with him so no accident would hurt Sal.

"The first move I'll be teaching ya is called the Preparation Form." Bunny lowered his arms and spread his legs apart. "This is what I want you to do."

Bridget unclenched her hands then lowered them to her waist. She pushed her legs good feet apart from the other. Bunny nodded approvingly, "Now pushed her hands as though you trying to push something down…no don't push your knees keep 'em straight. Aye just like that."

"This isn't so hard Bunny." Bridget praised.

"Glad to hear since there are a 108 movements." Bunny smiled in amusement when he saw Bridget do a double take.

"A hundred and what?" Bridget gaped and dropped in shock.

"Oi, keep your stance," Bunny reminded the girl. "One hundred and eight movements. And those are the ones humans know. I actually know a few dozen more since I invented the martial art and all."

"I'm starting to regret agreeing to this," Bridget said nervously.

"Too bad," Bunny replied in a singsong voice. "You promised to do this as much as I did."

"Darn me and my promising," Bridget cursed in slight humor. Jack chuckled with a shake of his head. That redhead was just so interesting to watch. "Should I take notes in case this comes in a test or something?" The winter spirit covered his mouth a second time.

"It's heavily encouraged," Bunny speculated in a similar manner toward Bridget. "But again let's focus, shall we?"

Bridget sighed, "Right, right."

"_I've got a long way to go." _

* * *

A bead of sweat trickled down Bridget's brow as she fought the urge to wipe it away. The sun beat down on her while she stood on Tai Chi move number seven, better known as 'White Crane Spreads Its Wings.' Bunny told her to keep that stance for the last five minutes and was starting to cramp up a little. "I'm starting to feel a little tired, Sifu Bunny."

"That's not true, you've only been at it for five minutes. Clearly your body is in turmoil with your yin and yang."

"My what?" Bridget asked confused at what Bunny was saying.

"The whole point of learning Tai Chi is keeping the balance of your inner and outer opposites. Right now the opposites of your thoughts and body are conflicting with one another. Your body feels weak and you're mind is enforcing that belief. Your mind is becoming weak because you're letting your body be the victor. Concentrate on thought rather than strength."

"How?"

"The only thing you need to feel is the opposites of everything working in a amalgamated dance. They nearly touch but stay a hand's grasp away. The Earth and Sky work to help make the land grow with subsistence. Day and Night give the man to work and sleep."

"I wish it was nighttime now," Bridget muttered under her breath.

"Sun and Rain give life and warmth."

"Like how the seasons are opposites in a way too; Winter and Summer?" Bridget arched an eyebrow, starting to get the gist of it all.

Bunny nodded in approval. "All are different, but only by working together do they create harmony and life." Bunny inhaled then exhaled. "So you need to separate your body an' mind to make them be at peace in order to bring those opposites together again."

"How can I do that?"

"All you need to do right now is feel; don't think."

"Basically I just need to do is trust my feelings." Bridget spoke blankly. _"Screw Harry Potter, my life is turning into _Star Wars _now."_

"Just empty your mind." Bunny closed his eyes. "Clear your thoughts and only feel the opposites all around you. Let your spirit and mind be free."

Bridget really was unsure of what Bunny meant but decided to do as she was told. While her body kept protesting weakly she ignored its pathetic cries and closed her mind. Seconds passed while she took a deep breath but then sighed in defeat. "Yeah that's not working for-" As if on queue, her legs gave in and she fell to the ground. "Ow."

Bunny sighed; disappointed that the teachings weren't going the way he planned. He shook his head and told Bridget that she was still holding herself back. "You're mind and body haven't separated themselves. They're still arguing over which side is right."

Bridget groaned while trying to pull herself up. Jack came to her aid at once and helped her up. The redhead smiled feebly. "I guess I still have a lot to learn then."

"Aw, cheer up ya sad sack," Bunny hopped over and patted Bridget's knee. "You at least learned seven of the 108 moves today. We'll keep going at it until you learn all of them."

Gray eyes reduced in size with worry. "Not all in one day, right?"

Bunny laughed and playfully nudged Bridget. "You're way far from learning them all in one day. We'll take it slow and I'll teach you a few while reminding you to find your full potential."

"Right, right," Bridget waved it of. "I'll do that." She inwardly sighed in worry with knowing that it would be difficult for her to figure out the whole full potential thing.

"We should probably head back," Jack spoke up finally. He wholeheartedly handed Sal back to Bridget. "It's already a little passed noon."

Stomach growling was heard as Bridget placed a hand over her belly. She smiled sheepishly and suggested that they should start walking back.

"You did pretty good up until that crane move." Jack said encouragingly.

"I did pretty **well, **Jack." Bridget rolled her eyes teasingly. "Someday I'll have to teach you proper grammar."

"And I'll teach you had to read."

Bridget almost laughed until she saw Jack's solemn expression. "You're serious."

Jack nodded. "I am. Since you can see and all I think I can really help you with reading print."

Bridget placed her hands in her pockets and looked toward the sloped pathway. "I guess that'll be another thing you will," she whispered quietly. "Help me with along with that training you promised."

"We can even do that today if you'd like that." Jack hoped he wasn't sounding too straightforward.

Bridget's blank look slowly turned into a warm smile. She chuckled before taking her hands out and rubbing them. "That does sound good. Maybe after lunch?"

After a moment's pause Jack replied, "Yes."

"_OH MY GOD! He said yes!" _Bridget mentally cheered in response. _"Wait why am I getting excited for? It's not like we're going on a…" _A faint blush started appearing on her face. _"Whoa there girl, it's just gonna be a training session. No silly date-y stuff going to happen. Jack is giving me his time to work with me. He is only thinking about my well being that's all."_

Unknown to Bridget, Jack was having similar thoughts.

"_I can't believe I finally asked her? Yeah!" _He was so excited that if he could use the wind right now Jack most likely would fly up in the air to give a 'whoop' of joy. The memory of what he asked her soon replayed in his mind. _"But it's not gonna be one of those date-things I've seen happening." _

Jack inwardly chuckled when he remembered how he had once cause snow to fall on unsuspecting couples years back. He thought it was so silly that grown-ups would weigh themselves down with those kinds of commitments. It was just like the colonial days in his mortal youth of how he would avoid dreads of courtship and girls that didn't know when to quit. Acting like a child made it easier to dodge those so-called responsibilities. But now he almost wished he knew what being a normal teenager was like, it could help with understanding Bridget better. Of course Bridget would probably remind him that being normal was overrated.

"Oi! What's up with you two? It's like trying to talk to the dead." Both teens got out of their thoughts when Bunny called out to them. He had been trying to talk to them for at least ten minutes now.

"Sorry," Bridget winced and instinctively touched her right wrist. With no cold metal to comfort her hand in a cool embrace she sighed.

"I was trying to tell you that we'd be meeting camp. We're no longer beyond the Black Stump apparently."

Just like Bunny promised the three of them were back at the campsite in less than a few minutes. "That was fast." Bridget mused.

"Well seeing how you both were off in your own little worlds made time goes by fast."

Bridget and Jack shifted around in embarrassment neither one looking at each other. North beamed a toothy grin when he spotted Bridget. "Ah, Leetle Girl. Good to be seeing of you." He walked over to where she was and wrapped his arm over her shoulders. "Are you ready from your next lesson?"

"Next lesson?"

"To learn sword fighting of course." North's grin grew wider.

Bridget paled uncomforted at what North had just spoken. "In the immortal words of Nicholas St. North I shall say, "Vhat?"

North chuckled in amusement to Bridget's mannerisms. His beard shook with shortbread cookie crumbs cascading down into her shoulders, much to Bridget's slight disgust. "Teaching you swordplay is good yes?"

Bridget shook her head slowly. "No."

"She just got back from learning Tai Chi with Bunny," Jack spoke out in her defense.

"And vhat better timing for her to learn fighting." North soon turned serious. "Ve must on our guard. Leetle Girl vas directly attacked as much as ve vere. She'll need to learn to fight in order to protect herself. Knowing how to use veapons is essential, especially once ve get to Hill of Tara; Morrígan might strike us there. Ve must all be prepared for that."

"Not to mention the Winter Solstice," Bunny added after sighing.

"That too, vhich is vhy you must learn as much as ve can teach you Bridget," North unsheathed one of his sabers and handed it to Bridget. The sword barely reached her in height was much heavier than it looked. Everything about the sword showed awesome power and design. Long and curved was the silver blade that shined brightly as the gray in Bridget's eyes. The handle was golden with an ornate design of the letter 'N' engraved on the front. All the scratches and aged lines showed how old and great a weapon the sword was. It didn't surprise Bridget at all that a sword as great as the one she was attempting to pick up belonged to someone as great as North.

"Heh, I guess in Russia the swords pick **you **up." Bridget sighed tiredly while trying to lift the sword with little success. Some of her weight was even pushed up by the sword itself. When the metal hilt jabbed itself onto her stomach she winced from the slight pain. "Oh goodie, here comes the hurting all over again."

* * *

Bridget could see stars. Was it because she was staring at the sky or did Nightlight hit her too hard? She wasn't so sure anymore. For the last two hours North had become Bridget's instructor with the ways of the blade, or 'Vays of Blade' as he summarized. It took her twenty minutes into the lesson for her to even lift the sword. Once she did North told the redhead that she would be sparring with Nightlight.

It took another twenty minutes to calm Bridget **and** Jack down with the promise of no harm coming to the girl and the spectral boy. North insisted that the weapons in use would be enchanted so that the blades on each weapon wouldn't hurt anyone.

During her sparring lesson Bridget learned the old moral 'it's not the weapon that makes the warrior' the hard way. She originally thought she had an advantage over Nightlight with his wooden staff with her sharper, better-built sword. First lesson she learned after that mistake was _**NEVER **_underestimate your opponent. Especially when he is from outer space and can not only throw his staff like a baton but also parry any blow that attempt to penetrate him.

Nightlight had promised (with hand gestures) that he would go easy on her but Bridget didn't think he was being serious with how easy he cut her at every blow. It also didn't help that he was just so darn flexible to boot. Nightlight could bend in the most implausible angles and jump around with the quickness of a lizard. His movements copied that of a snake or a lean fox. Yeah, Bridget had thought. A fox suited Nightlight better with both of them being tricky and impossible to corner.

None of Bunny's teaching seemed to help Bridget when it appeared to that she didn't remember any of them while fighting Nightlight. She didn't remember how to not directly fight and to meet an incoming force with softness. And to follow its motion while remaining in physical contact until Nightlight would exhaust himself or can be safely redirected, meeting yang with yin. Sadly for Bridget's impatient stride and frustration she fought back with brute force, matching Nightlight's, mediocrity. She was so drained from the fight that Bridget there and then pass out on the lawn.

Even in her tired state Bridget could hear a few snippets of what the others had to say.

"-should've taught her the basics first-"

"-Poor thing, I hope she isn't hurt-"

"-Naw, Nightlight only jabbed her a few times. 'Surprised she lasted this long to be honest-"

"-Bunny! Don't say such harsh things! She might still be conscious-"

"-I can say whatever I feel like-"

"Guys," Jack barked. "Step back and give her some space."

Bridget felt cool arms wrapping around her backside and had the childish urge to push herself toward them. She opened her eyes to see Jack standing before her with a bothered look. He appeared to be at a loss of words, almost opening his mouth only to close it. Bridget pulled at her arm in awkwardness while looking at the ground. Her shoes suddenly became very interesting to look at.

Tooth nudged North's shoulder moments later. When he turned Tooth jerked her head toward her right. His eyes darted toward the direction and silently 'ahh'ed' in understanding. He soon motioned Sandy, Nightlight and Bunny to follow them toward the cart in order to give the youngest members of the group some space.

Jack attempted to smile at his friends' thoughtfulness but couldn't seem to do it. "That was…" he trailed off, uncertain on how to finish what his mind had feebly established in his mind.

"Spectacular?" Sarcasm was clear in Bridget's tone. Her look was blank as she spoke a beat later. "Proof of what great obvious pain I am in?"

"I was going to say that you did pretty okay but your words make sense too." Jack pointed out at her tiredly. When he noticed how tired Bridget looked another thought crossed Jack's mind. "You might not want to that-" his eyes glanced over toward the cart and hoped he was out of earshot. "-'activity' later."

Bridget shook her head, disagreeing with Jack's suggestion. He held a confuse look momentarily until she said, "We made a promise didn't we? I can't back out on it now with being a little…messed up from the other stuff that happened today. Bedsides I think it would be nice, I'll be able to let out some steam, so to speak."

Jack blinked, realization poured into him like a whirlwind. He never thought of that, perhaps training Bridget to control her firepowers could help give her time to vent or get some much needed energy out.

"I know I use this word a lot but, so~ are we still on schedule with today's plan? Or…" Bridget trailed off purpose, hoping Jack would finish her words.

Jack sighed, scratched the back of his head before racking his fingers though it. Bridget felt her fingers tingle slightly but decided to clench them up. She thought she was being totally rotten.

"…yeah." Jack finally said. Bridget widened her eyes in shock. "We can go and…you know."

Bridget had trouble fighting back the small smile that was forming on her face. "Great." Her face scrunched after she grasped that she almost squealed. Her face flushed in embarrassment. Jack smiled in amusement and shook his head.

"When do you want to go?" Jack placed a hand in his hoodie pocket while the other clasped his staff.

Bridget rubbed the back of her shoulder and rolled it around. "Right now would be fine I guess."

Jack smiled and offered his hand. "Let's get going then."

A small blush appeared on Bridget as she stared at the open hand before her. The incident back in the alleyway played in her mind once again as worry pooled into her stomach. Nervousness gripped her heart when she remembered that the others were a few paces away and probably watching. Just was she ready to pull her hand away she saw a heartbreaking sight. While the smile on Jack was still there but his eyes held another emotion. The blue irises widened for a fraction of a second with the hint of gloom overpowering them. He looked as though he couldn't swallow either while his opened hand fidgeted ever so slightly.

"_Man I am such a bitch," _Bridget thought miserably. All this time she thought she was doing Jack a favor by distancing herself but instead she was hurting him more. Guilt replaced her anxiety in an instant. Almost always Bridget did recall having at least one friend before her powers were revealed, meaning that her interaction with people wasn't truly limited as she thought. But Jack, _oh Jack_, he had little to no contact with anyone before this year probably. Besides Jamie, she and him were really the only friends Jack had in three hundred years like Tooth had told her. The more Bridget was pushing him away, the more she was hurting him. Guilt and pain flooded inside her whole body and suddenly she felt her body go cold. Not the same cold she felt from Jack's hand but the familiar cold she felt when felt alone in the world. Bridget sighed silently. She knew that Jack still had feelings for someone else and would have been happier with them. Bridget wasn't going to let her fear of her true feelings being discovered to ruin the friendship she already forged with Jack. If being friends meant being platonic with that person and being friendzoned forever then **DAMN THE MOON! **She is going to be the bestest best teenaged friend Jack will ever have!

Just as the thoughts from the alleyway started to return into Jack's mind he felt warmth envelop his hand again. He shut his mouth tight before he could gape when he saw that Bridget accepted his hand. She smiled weirdly at him but exclaimed happily, "Let's get going while there's still daylight out, huh?"

Suddenly Jack couldn't help the smile emerging onto his face. It was almost too painful but Jack didn't care. Bridget wasn't trying to avoid him like all those other times. His thumb caressed over her hand by accident but neither seemed to notice or care.

"Then let's." Oh bless her exploding heart Jack was smiling cheerfully again. Bridget failed to match his grin but followed him away from the campsite nonetheless. Both of them were in high spirits for different reasons, but as long as they were happy nothing else really mattered.

* * *

Bunny stared at the retreating teenagers incredulously with a worried look. "Are ye sure we shouldn't follow them?"

Tooth eyed the pooka in surprise. "Bunny, I always thought you were against spying them. I mean you were the last time we did."

Bunny furrowed his brows in frustration, not at all looking at Tooth directly. "This is different. Didn't you hear half of the things said between those two?"

North placed a hand over Bunny's head and patted his head. "Ve must give them trust Bunny. Vhat ve did the other night vasn't right. They are both young and mature." North smiled. "They vouldn't do anything vith consent from us. Besides both are only 17. No one ever does anything too 'promiscuous' at that age."

Sandy and Bunny exchanged looks and then sighed. Looks like North really did need to get out more.

* * *

**Q-A: **Well I'm ending it there…the chapter I mean not the story. Sorry not much happened in this chapter but the next one should be better. We'll get to see Bridget use her firepowers again! Yay! She might have a better control on them than the last time; with Jack helping anything can happen. I know what you're thinking and stop! Bunny is just very overprotective of Bridget with her being his Big Ankle-bitter and the conversation between her and Jack sounded a little….distressing. XD Oh~ I just love write how overprotective the older Guardians can get. X3 It's so cute! Next chapter will be nearly exclusive to Bridget and Jack. And that's all I'm revealing!

Oh and before I go I want to give a **HUGE **shoutout to EVREYONE! Thanks to all of you I almost reached 100 reviews! That's a first for me! :D It makes me so proud of myself and all of you guys for supporting this story. I'm so glad!

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	24. Hot and Cold

**Q-A: **Here we go with chapter 24!

**Disclaimer: **I own none of the characters (minus the ). Everything belongs to DWs and The Greater God of Moonbots!

* * *

_~Hot and Cold~_

"Is there any reason you're being so mysterious right now…or is it a secret like the place you're apparently taking me." Bridget asked comfortably with a smile.

Jack Frost chuckled before turning to look over his shoulder. "I'm just, y'know, adding more to the atmosphere and all." He pushed aside a branch that was in his and Bridget's way and continued leading her over the pathway that he made.

"Would that be the reason why I'm not wearing my glasses right now?" Bridget was once again blinder than a bat while her hand clutched to Jack's like a lifeline. Jack might've winced from her grip but he didn't show it. The Mini-fairies in her stomach had become comatose a few minutes into the walk sadly.

"It's a surprise," was all Jack answered. "You'll see once we get there."

Bridget snorted. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"No but I still heard a snort from you so I'd say mission accomplish."

"I still don't know how I put up with you," Bridger rolled her eyes playfully. "How much further 'til we get to this 'special spot' of yours?"

"Not too long." Jack called back. When he stared to see the timberline starting to shrink and fewer trees were seen. Jack grinned wildly when he saw that they reached their final destination. He tugged at Bridget's arm to safely lead her over half-exposed rocks without tripping over them. Soon they came to a stop when Jack halted Bridget and gave her back the egg-specs. Bridget thanked him before putting the glasses on. Once she did Bridget was gaping in amazement.

The two of them were almost at the mountain's summit with it being a few meters up. There were zero trees from the looks of it and only rocks on the ground. Most of them were large stones sticking into the earth like cobblestone walkways but were aligned haphazardly. Several dozen rocks converged into a small, crater-ish hole in the center of the hill. Bridget tried to crane her neck to see the hole better. Seeing that Bridget wanted to get a better view Jack happily led her by the arm and walked her over toward the end of the small ledge. Inside the crater Bridget saw a stone with a spiral pattern carved on the rock. Her eyes widened in awe.

"It's beautiful," Bridget turned to Jack with a smile. "This whole place is. I can probably see everything from up here." She turned around and did indeed saw many green mountains surrounding the land in gorgeous formations with trees everywhere. If Ireland really was one of the most deforested places in the world Bridget was having trouble seeing it.

Jack smiled softly, happy to see Bridget enjoying herself. "How did you find this place anyway?"

The winter spirit shrugged before replying, "I sorta flew over this place a few times while bringing winter to Ireland in the past. I even crashed on this mountain once-I didn't get hurt, honest!" Jack quickly added while waving is hands when he saw Bridget looking worried. "But anyway when I…'fell,' I climbed up toward the mountain so I could get better space to fly out with so many trees in the way."

He turned back to where Bridget stood and said, "I figured earlier this would make a great place to practice your firepowers. There's barely any wind up here to move it around and if there was, all the stones that surround us should keep the fire from spreading."

"Sounds better than an open field that's for sure," Bridget crouched down to inspect the rocks closely. The stone she touched was coarse but not in anyway lumpy as it was smooth with little to no blemishes on the surface. Everywhere she looked rocks littered the ground. It was indeed the ideal place to play with fire. It was the ideal place until Bridget spotted dark clouds rumbling over the horizon. Her eyes narrowed when she heard thunder from the dark nimbuses.

"It'll be hours before that storm reaches us," a cool hand touched Bridget's shoulder. Jack gave her a reassuring look. "Though we should get a head start and begin, right?"

Bridget pursed her lips before pulling her right arm with her other hand. It became a habit of hers to tug at her limb after losing her bracelet. "Do ya think you could show me your icy powers…just so I could get a good idea on how I should do my fire."

"Learning from example huh?" Jack couldn't stop the smirk from forming. "I like it. The air up here should be cold enough for that." Before Bridget could roll her eyes she quickly shut up when Jack started to work his magic. He threw his staff in the air to form flakes of snow to fall around in a slow flurry.

Leafy and feathery frost patterns covered the rocks surround the two in a spiral almost identical to the ones cut into the rocks. Bridget nearly let out a squeal of excitement that soon erupted into joyful laughter. Everywhere she turned a thin layer of snow and frost covered the ground like pure white lace. Grass bent down from the weight of the ice, dirt became entombed with frozen panels that mocked the appearance of glass.

"Not too bad huh?" Jack teased while Bridget ogled at the snowy landscape before them.

Bridget held a mien that Jack mistook for sadness. He glanced at her in concern until she spoke breathlessly, "This looks even more beautiful than before. None of the books I have read described winter like-" She wiped her eyes from the newly formed tears. "And this is only just the frost, I bet seeing you make snow is incredible." Her dropped her head down guiltily. "I kinda feel rotten that I didn't pay attention to the snow back in Santoff Claussen."

Jack waved her worry off. "You were too busy to notice it I think with you being able to see for the first time."

"But that's just it I did see some of the snow but not enough to admire it I think. I was too busy with…" her voice trailed off and she looked to the ground.

"Busy with what?"

"_Thinking about how hot you are." _Bridget inwardly gulped. She was so not going into that direction. The redhead had an obligation to Jack by being his friend. Not in a million years was she going to ruin it with her stupid hormones. "Just all the stuff that was going around at the time I guess."

Jack nodded, completely understanding what she meant by that. "So did you see exactly what I did to bring out all that ice moments ago?"

Bridget gave him a nod. "I think so. But I'm not sure how I can do something like that. You make it look too easy, pal."

Jack smiled crookedly. "Yeah well I did have 300 years to practice."

"I wish I had that kind of time," Bridget muttered to herself. Jack eyed her carefully until she said in a more poignant tone. "I can't bring out my fire unless I'm angry. You can bring out your ice no matter what you feel."

"It just takes some practice." Jack reminded her. "Heck, I'm still learning how to control my powers." He gripped his staff while in deep thought. "Maybe there's a way you can bring it out in a different way. Like try thinking happy thoughts."

"'Happy thoughts?'" Bridget shook her head. "Jack I'm trying to make fire, not learn how to fly. I can barely think of a time when I was really happy."

"How about when you moved to Burgess?" Jack thought that she must've had a few good memories there while living with the Bennetts. The memory of Jamie smiling slowly materialized into his mind. Jack pushed the image away out of guilt for still not knowing where to find the poor boy. Jack inwardly sighed. He needed to help Bridget now.

He heard Bridget breath out a large exhale of air and said, "The only happy memories I have from that actually make me depress right now."

"I get it." Jack quickly said yes, not wanting to be reminded of the painful truth. "How about before or after that."

The redhead scrunched her face while opening her palm. For several minutes Bridget kept thinking and rethinking every cheerful moment that had happened to her in the last week. So many wonderful moments reeled around but were soon switched with unhappy memories. The moment of when Jack saw her on the nightmare ship came into mind along with Liam cursing at her. Those and several more memories became too much for her to bear. Bridget yelled a string of curses before falling to her knees to the ground. When she opened her eyes Bridget could see that her closed fists made two perfect circles of melted ice while smoke evaporated out of her hands.

"It's no use," Bridget sighed in defeat. "No matter what, I'm always going to make fire when I'm angry."

Jack rattled his brain for something to comfort Bridget with. There had to be something he could say or do for her, but what? Suddenly it dawned to him. All the pain and anger associated with her fire was starting to make sense. Bridget only saw her firepowers in a negative aspect because that's what everyone else saw it as. If he could somehow find a balance between her anger and serenity and help her express her fire in a positive light he would do it.

Jack's thoughts quickly went away when he felt something cold on his head. He ran a hand through his hair and soon discovered what fell on his head when another cold drop touched his fingers. Dark storm clouds rumbled overhead with rain falling from the heavens.

"Crap, it's already raining." Bridget shouted in protest. "Should we head back or...?"

"We should get somewhere that's dry," Jack quickly replied. "The campsite's too far from where we're at now." He offered his hand and Bridget accepted it without hesitating. "You should probably keep your glasses on for the walk back."

"You think?"

* * *

Walking was nearly out of the question with so much rain pouring down. It was very difficult for the two with them both having and had to walk instead of running in order to avoid slippery rocks and wet grass. After five minutes Bridget finally saw trees and sighed in relief. They were almost into the woods instead of trying to run out of them. Thunder and lightning clapped over the sky temporally illuminating the area in a whitish shade. Jack guided Bridget through the welcoming forest with tall pine trees seemingly intertwined around another making the perfect canopy from the cold rain. The winter spirit could still feel water droplets falling onto his face and knew that just standing in the forest wouldn't do him and Bridget much good. With the same instincts he used from previous searches for already form shelters Jack looked around for the best place to rest.

Lightning flashed over the sky earning a fearful yelp from Bridget. "Sorry," she murmured in shame. "I think I don't really like lightning that much right now." Books explaining the great pain a person can feel when electrocuted came into mind.

"You and me both." Jack agreed while looking at the sky. Once he lowered his head down he thanked the moon when he spotted the perfect shelter. Between two fallen trees was a triangular shaped cave-like hole that looked big enough for the two. It was most likely a lightning magnet but beggars couldn't be choosers. Jack led Bridget to the hole with no protesting from her surprisingly. She said something about getting out of the rain was all she wanted but Jack didn't listen to the last part. They soon crawled into the hole and rested their heinies on the mossy ground that was thankfully dry. The fallen pine trees were wide and long to shield the two teenagers from the rain. Branches still connected to the trees made a perfect roof while the gentle pitter-patter of water fell but did not seep trough the thick pine needles.

Bridget sighed while wrapping her arms around her knees. Jack looked at her questionably. "You cold?"

"No," Bridget answered seconds later. "Not really. Just wet." She smiled while trying to cover her mouth at the same time.

"What are you laughing at?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"You," Bridget snickered. "The rain made your hair flatten down."

"What?" Jack cried in shock that made Bridget laugh even louder. He racked fingers through his white locks and grumbled in annoyance when he realized Bridget was right.

"You look just like Jamie," Bridget wiped a tear away. "Don't worry it's a happy tear," she promptly added after Jack looked at her worriedly.

Jack smiled wistfully and then stared at the ground. The rain kept pouring down showing no signs of stopping that made Jack sigh. Looks like they'll be staying a little longer than planed. Thunder rumbled again which made Bridget whimper in fright. Jack inhaled in worry. He needed to figure out something to keep her mind off of the storm or else the night would only get worse for the redhead. The winter spirit stretched his legs before plopping them to the ground after getting out of his crouching position. "I think we're gonna be here for a little longer than planned."

"Great," Bridget muttered, burying her face between her knees. Jack soon spoke up, "We can talk to try and past the time until the rain slows down." He used to do the same thing with Emily to help calm her down during a storm too.

Bridget lifted her face to make known of how distressed she looked. Despite her lip quivering and she made the faint sounds of whimpering she nodded her head after lightning flashed in the sky.

"You know, I actually did use to have brown hair back when I was… when I was human." Jack wasn't sure if that was the best way to start up a conversation but he figured some old stories from his old life might prevent Bridget from wrapping her head around the storm. He also felt that keeping his past life secret from her wouldn't be right since he wasn't actually hiding anything from it.

Bridget perked her head in interest and gave her undivided attention. "Brown eyes too," he also added.

"Then you must've really looked like Jamie as a kid." She smiled while placing her chin on her knees once more. Suddenly the storm was starting to feeling like a distant memory.

"Yeah, but I don't think I remember what I looked like back then. But my hair was messy like it usually is." Jack shrugged. "We didn't have cameras back then to take pictures, plus I wasn't the best drawer back then either." He flushed in embarrassment, not believing that he actually said that.

Bridget smiled sympathetically. "I'm probably not all that great at drawing too. There's a lot of stuff I couldn't do before I was blind."

"You could sing though," Jack smiled, his eyes holding some emotion Bridget was able to understand. She hoped her blush wasn't showing before brushing her wet bangs back in place.

"I lived with a family that was obsessed with talents. They wanted me to have my own center-like North would say. They assumed that singing would be the only good thing I was good at and made me take lessons. Six weeks later I was sent away when I nearly fried the music stand I was practicing in. A couple kids were making fun of this other kid in the classroom with me, saying that singing was for" Bridget paused, trying to figure out the more appropriate word to use. "…Non-straight people."

Jack winced, he had his share of seeing people being teased or tormented for being different. He would always secretly root for the different person, feeling sympathetic since he was abnormal in his own right and, when permitted, threw snowballs or played tricks on the bullies.

Jack really hated bullies.

"I use to have had my share of bullies back in the old days."

Bridget stared at him worryingly. "You were bullied?"

"Not me," Jack admitted. "But sometimes the younger kids I played with were. A lot of older kids would tease them for being so small or not strong enough to skip rocks and other stuff." He curled his toes into the dirt when another unfortunate memory came into mind. "Some of them even pushed my sister in the mud on rainy days like this just because they knew she hated being dirty."

Did he ever defend Emily from bullies too? Bridget felt her shoulders slacken. Of course he would defend his old…lady-friend from bullies, any guy would do that if the girl they loved was in danger.

"What jerks." Bridget muttered under her breath. Her voice returned to normal when she spoke supportively, "I'm sure your sister was nice."

Apparently she said the right thing when Bridget saw Jack grinned with absolute fondness in his expression. She couldn't help but wonder what mien he might've used for when he thought of the girl he loved. "Man, she was-was great. I mean she did have a habit of worrying over me if I did something she thought looked dangerous-"

"Which meant it was," Bridget interjected teasingly.

Jack snorted noiselessly. "She was a lot like you. Bossy, impatient, no-nonsense kinda gal. But, even with all that she was still the best. She always laughed at just about everything I did. We always played together because that's what she wanted." He smiled serenely. "There was even a time I found these two huge deer antlers and put them on my head." Jack motioned with his hands over his head, pretending they were the antlers. He smirked when Bridget laughed; he was expecting to hear her giggle. "Emily also did that when I mimicked the animal's movements."

Bridget suddenly felt her whole body go numb. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Every part of her brain became nonfunctioning with the exception of her predisposed instinct to ask questions. "Wh-what did you just say?"

Jack blinked and soon repeated, "I mimicked the ani-"

"No, not that." Bridget waved her hand to silence him. "Before that."

The winter spirit stared just as dumbly as the girl did. He had no idea where she was going with this. "Uh…my sister used to laugh like you just did?"

"But you said a name," Bridget pointed out. "What name was that?" Her mind trailed off, _"And could it be…?"_

Jack lowered his eyes to the ground before answering, "Emily; that was my sister's name."

Bridget could of nothing else but what Jack had just uttered.

Emily was his sister.

Emily was** his** sister.

The sister of Jack was Emily.

It was Emily whom Jack was related to.

They were both blood so no…eww!

Bridget mentally winced. She did not want to be thinking those kinds of thoughts. But who cares! Emily was Jack's sister! They weren't a couple at all! Bridget felt like screaming, dancing, screaming and dancing in joy. She couldn't decide which one to do. Instead she could only do the thing her brain could process at the moment. She started to laugh, and laugh so hard her insides would burst.

Jack eyed the girl before her with worry. Minutes after he told Bridget his sister's name she started to act really quiet. Her expression even matched the one she gave him back in Santoff Claussen. It worried him greatly until something unexpected happened when Bridget began to laugh like a madwoman. She was laughing so hard that tears were pouring down her face. Even when thunder crackled Bridget paid no heed and continued laughing. The whole scene was starting to freak Jack out.

Hesitatively Jack was ready to put a hand on her shoulder to stop it from shaking until Bridget removed her hands out off of her face. "I am such an idiot." She started to speak in a fast pace. "Here I was thinking you were sounding so-and then looking really-and then the hallucination induced girls-and then thinking I had nothing-and the moon was acting like a total troll for me-and me being such an idiot for not talking."

"Whoa," Jack raised his arms, motioning her to calm down. "What are you going on about? Seriously I am lost right now."

Bridget took a deep breath before sighing even louder than the gulp of air. "I'm sorry I-all this time I was-and you were-and she was your-" Jack clamped her mouth shut before she could continue.

Jack smiled awkwardly before saying, "Let's try this again. What are you talking about? And this time, say it in a coherent way."

Bridget breathed in quietly, her nose breathing out much more air than normal thanks to Jack still covering her mouth. Slowly Jack removed his hand while stifling a laugh from the air that blew through it moments ago. A small smile played on her features before Bridget began.

"I just want to let you know before I start, I really appreciate that you're my friend." Jack was startled by that sudden confession but nodded. "I appreciate it too."

"Which was why I was so afraid of how crazy it's been for me." Jack wasn't sure what she meant by that. "Since this whole trip-journey-quest-mission-thingy started I had a lot on my mind. The biggest concern was, of course, saving the kids," she clasped her shins and stared negatively at the mossy ground. "But lately since…I don't know maybe the third or fourth day we got into the whole," she struggled to find the right words until she spread her arms widely. "Thing, I started to realize there's this other problem I apparently haven't been able to face before. It started out small so I thought it was hormones for a while. Later on as the feeling didn't go away especially after the…moment at the gazebo." Jack visibly winced. "I began thinking it might've been something else. Something much stronger and more evident."

"And that was?" Jack leaned in, his face practically in her personal bubble. Bridget ignored her reddening face long enough to sputter out, "ThatImight possiblyhavea crushonyou!"

"What?" Blue eyes crinkled in confusion.

Bridget groaned audibly and glared at Jack. "Do I really need to say it a second time?" After seeing Jack nod at her with a serious expression she groaned a second time. "I…I might-no," her face became determined. "I have a strong attraction towards you." She was barely looking at Jack right now as she continued speaking what her heart truly said. "Strong enough that I can be sure that I…I like you. A lot." When she opened her eyes and looked directly at Jack she was shocked to see that he said nothing. All that was visible on his face was a dumbfounded look.

Fearing for the worst Bridget quickly started saying, "But I didn't fall for you right away-though I did find your voice sexy when we first met. But I only saw you as a good friend, until you became so kind, nice, and funny, and so damn likable that it was driving me crazy. And then you had to so-so-so hot looking and the smiles and the stupid smirks, and the stupid infectious laughter and your personality and the fact that you put up wit my _Debbie-Downer_ attitude-" she didn't have anymore time to finish when Jack almost tackled her into a hug. Her mind went into mush for fifty seconds as the familiar cool embrace from the winter spirit. Bridget let out a small 'eep' in surprise as her face transversed into fifty shades of red. It was the embrace in Wexford all over again, yay?

Bridget slowly got enough brain cells (that weren't dead by this point in time) to speak up to Jack. "Uh~um-y'know and the thing with-um-that other person." Well she could talk but I never said in a coherent way.

When she felt a cool breath of air on her face Bridget noticed quickly that Jack was looking directly at her. She didn't have enough time to utter another 'eep' when Jack said, "You actually-and I am-and your-" he was just as mixed up as Bridget was until she him hold a calculating look and pursed his lips slightly. "You think I'm 'hot?' Then why were you avoiding me?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bridget waved her arms erratically, causing Jack to remove his hold of her. She looked at him, fuming all the while. "That is like question 5 of the 20 you should be asking right now. Shouldn't the first question be like 'How can a human like me?' 'Why do I attract the weirdoes?' 'Is this a sign of the apocalypse?'" For a second time Bridget was silenced, only instead of his entire hand Jack placed a finger over her lips.

Jack gave Bridget what probably looked like the most sincere and heartwarming gaze anyone ever gave her. "You just said you liked me."

"Well I still do." Bridget blushed. She pushed his hand away before admitting. "It's not in the past tense yet." _"And it might never be," _she also wanted to add.

"Is that so," Jack smiled again.

Bridget's pupils shrunk in size. "Did I say that last part aloud unknowingly again?"

A small, amused smirk appeared on Jack's features as he nodded. "Damn it!" Bridget slapped herself in annoyance.

"And you think I'm hot." Jack's smirk slowly grew into a smug look.

Bridget scowled in irritation. "Oh don't take pride in yourself, pal. Otherwise you'll be an even bigger show pony." She became confounded at her choice of words. "I've been hanging out with Bunny way too much I think."

"But wait," Jack raised a hand up in confusion. "If you like me and think I'm…good looking, then why were running away and avoiding me all those times?"

Bridget bellowed a long groan before burring her face into her knees again. "Don't you have any idea what your appearance does to people? If you were visible, Jack, I bet you would have a large following of fangirls all over the globe with your looks alone. And if anyone knew what sort of personality you have they'll go even crazier. It doesn't help that every time you look at me I go into a comatose state. And let's not forget about how sexy your voice is." Bridget shot her head up and pointed a finger toward the logged ceiling. "It's that stupid moon's fault for anything. He is a total troll because nobody can look as good as you do. It's freakin' impossible!"

Jack was beyond words at what Bridget had just said. He didn't think he was that attractive enough to affected her in that way. His mind couldn't help but wonder why would it be like if other teenage girls could see him. He quickly began to realize how horrible that reality would turn out like. The winter spirit would never get any work done with all those girls chasing him around. He inwardly shuddered at the thought; if they were anything like the Mini-fairies, Jack was doomed.

A few minutes passed with the only sound were the small noise of rain hitting the roof and ground outside. Neither person was sure who should talk first with so much awkwardness in the air. Bridget calmed down finally to speak up, "I avoided you at first because I didn't want you seeing me act like a spaz or see my blushing face." Bridget began to be true to her word once her face turned into a rosy hue again. She smiled sheepishly before admitting, "I even starting thinking I would literally blow up if any kind of physical contact happened between us." The smile melted away until it formed into a hideous frown. "Things became hard for me when I got the idea you had feelings for someone else."

Jack blinked and gaped at her in surprise. "What made you think that? You're the first person I met in-"

"Before meeting you," the redhead interrupted. She looked at him with an emotionless mien and said, "I thought you still loved someone from when you where living back in the colonial times." An embarrassed expression appeared on her face. "Back on Sandy's Dreamboat I heard you talking in your sleep." Jack frowned in annoyance to himself; he really needed to fix that problem. "You were saying sorry to this girl about leaving her and then said that you loved her. I heard you say her name was Emily."

In less then 2.7 seconds Jack widened his eyes until he began to laugh. His entire mood was lightened up in mere seconds. Bridget flushed with humiliation as she tried to explain feebly, "I didn't ask you so I had no idea it was your sister!"

Jack was wiping the tears from his eyes before composing himself. "And you didn't bother asking because?"

"How was I supposed to know? I didn't even know if you remembered her or not. I was afraid that it would be too personal or that forgot all entirely."

He gawked at her in surprise until the words sunk in. Jack couldn't help but agree with her words. Talking about his old life was a little hard for him, especially when remembering about his little sister. Jack weaved his fingers through his hair for what felt like the umpteenth time that afternoon and reluctantly nodded. "I wasn't really sure about talking of my past that much. One, because I didn't want anybody's pity and second, I just didn't like bringing it up."

Bridget placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I don't know what relationship you had with Em-your sister was like but I still think it was good between you two."

"We were," Jack assented. "But I never…I never said goodbye when I changed. She saw me fall in the ice. I had no memory of my past and I didn't know who she even was because I didn't know who I was." By this point in time Jack was almost in near hysterics.

Bridget felt her insides turn to stone. This was exactly why she didn't want to ask about his past too much. She knew from experience that someone's past could hurt him or her and Jack was no exception to that rule. She wanted to say something to him, Jack's poor broken form made her want to comfort. Some solace for all the times he did so for her. The memory of their first real embrace in the nightmare ship came into mind. She blushed feverishly from the memory of Jack kissing her forehead.

"_No, Jack probably didn't want something like that right now," _Bridget heard her conscience say. The redhead sighed before pushing her bangs away, she wanted to say something to Jack but her brain was still on the fritz from that hug earlier. _"Bunny did tell me I need to trust my feelings, and that comes from the heart…right? Oh, I should figure out something and just do it." _

Jack was frustrated with himself. He couldn't believe that he just flipped out like that. With all that venting Jack might've made hail fall from the sky.

Plop! An object that was cold and small landed on Jack's head. He placed his hand over his head and found a hailstone the size of pea hardening on the palm of his hand. Jack mentally groaned, why does everything touch have to get cold? Couldn't he just be normal for one second of his immortal-He felt Bridget put her free hand on his other shoulder that made him look at her directly. Her face was firm but held eyes filled with understanding. No signs of pity could be seen.

"Jack," Bridget began in a small voice. "I have no idea what you were like back then, besides what you have told me so far, but what I've added up is something. You must've been good to your sister. I bet…I bet Emily loved you very much and she probably missed you as much as you miss her." Her voice became more confident while her dimples spread back to reveal a growing smile.

"And the fact that you still care about her is good I think. With your experiences with her you can think of how to get kids from feeling bad anymore. Or, hey, even when bullies bother them you can and have done something to solve it. So in a way Emily did a lot for you just as much as you've done for her. Try and live each day liked you did for her." Bridget motioned to her wide grin before concluding; "Full of happy smiles plastered on happy kids."

Bridget silently prayed what she just said didn't sound incredibly stupid or cheesy. She swore that halfway through her little pep talk that her voice cracked and squeaked on some words. Her smile was probably a little too wide and might look creepy. God, she must've over done the whole preaching thing again. She always got over the top with those sorts of things; it made her look like a huge dork-"Bridget!" Jack snapped his fingers in front of her face for probably the third time since she starting spacing out.

"Huh-wha?" Bridget blinked a couple times before her brain decided to work with her again. She was still in the tree hole with Jack. She had just sputtered out a silly little speech again at Jack. The winter spirit was now a few inches from her face with a toothy grin. Her throat dried up while her arms became magnetized to her sides. Her poor, wittle brain wanted to shut downed once more but Bridget decided against it.

Jack smiled, shaking his head in amusement. This was what, the twelfth time he noticed her spacing out? "I was trying to tell you thanks. That really means a lot coming from you."

"Because I'm right?" Bridget suggested rather smugly but feigned child-like innocence.

"That," he gently placed a hand over hers and intertwined their fingers together. "And I like you too."

Bridget silently allowed her brain to die for thirty seconds before needing it again. Did he really…?

Jack smiled, understanding Bridget's look of disbelief and soon said, "Yes you heard right. I, Jack Frost: Guardian of Fun, The Spirit of Winter likes Bridget with-no-last-name."

Small hiccups of laughter erupted from Bridget as she smiled giddily. "You just said you and you're-" More laughter escaped from her. "You like me. You LIKE me!" She was happy and excited that great warmth spread all over her body. Most of the heat radiated from her fingertips when one of the most unforgettable moments happened.

* * *

Jack could feel a weight of relief lift itself off his shoulders. Finally he said what he was feeling and to the girl who's feelings he felt for no less. He even thought of Bridget's reaction, as no little of a miracle, to say Jack was worried that she would reject him was an understatement. He was practically holding his breath until she would say something back. Much to his surprise she answered right away. He was afraid what she said earlier was a fluke almost. A girl like her with such a unique personality and kindhearted attitude wouldn't even consider liking a complete mess like him and yet there she was getting all excited at the prospect of Jack admitting his feelings toward her, something he thought was strange since she was able to win many people over beside him. Speaking of 'getting all excited' Jack looked to see how Bridget was doing and saw a memorable sight.

Jack saw smoke smoldering out of Bridget's fingers. No, her hands were on-

* * *

"Fire!" Bridget stopped giggling long enough to hear Jack exclaim, "Fire's coming out of your hands!"

The fiery redhead looked at her hands and yelped in alarm. Each fingertip was covered in a small flame. Without thinking Bridget quickly got out of the hole and tripped outside ungracefully with her butt and back facing the ground. Her eyes bored into the pouring sky as the fire on her fingers slowly began receding. Jack crawled out of the hole moments later. Sal climbed out of her pocket while chirping in distress from Bridget's earlier behavior.

"I just made fire come out but I wasn't angry." Bridget sighed in astonishment. When water covered her glasses, making it nearly impossible to see, she lifted her upper body up, causing the water to fall due to gravity. "I made fire without getting angry."

She looked up toward Jack and smiled widely. "I never done that in my life before."

Jack attempted to shrug but mirrored her grin instead. "That's really great to hear." He bend down on one knee and offered his hand for her. "Really it does." Bridget eyed the hand worriedly and asked, "Are you sure I should be touching you where fire just came out of my palms seconds ago?"

Soft blue eyes soon widened and Jack evidently winced. "Right, sorry." Bridget smiled casually before pushing herself up. She shook her head while laughing. "I should be the one apologizing. I had no idea me getting all excited would cause fire to shoot out from my fingers like a lighter."

"But that never happened before," Jack pointed out with his hand under his chin. "You've gotten excited millions of times before but this was the first with fire. It's just like you said earlier about how you could only make fire come out was when you got really mad."

"Then what made it happen differently," Bridget asked, not directly at Jack but somewhat. "Something had to have made it come out."

Jack thought deeply for a moment before he began thinking of a theory. Suddenly all those times Ombric Shalazar and Bunnymund mentioned Bridget holding back her true potential was starting to make sense. "You were too restraint all those other times."

Bridget furrowed her eyebrows. "No wait just hear me out," Jack held his hands up. "All those times before you used your fire to fight when you were provoked." He started to pace while his train of thought continued speaking his mind. "So far you only summoned fire when someone was hurting you or someone else right?"

Unsure how to respond to what Jack said correctly, Bridget nodded without speaking. "And people reacted badly to your fire."

Bridget rolled her eyes and frowned. "Seeing how I burned them with my fire, of course they would react badly."

"Which led you to associate fire with being a bad thing," Jack grinned; happy of the conclusion he was coming up with. "Which I believe made you not want nothing to do with it and only use it when you got truly angry."

"Why though?" Bridget placed her hands on her hips, not at all caring about how drenched she probably was at that moment.

"Because you tried ignoring that part of you along with the rest of your true emotions. Meaning you stopped using your firepowers until you started to show your true feelings and got rid of the block you had on them."

Thoughts swelled around her mind until Bridget came into a conclusion of her own. Her face became very red. "Are you saying I only started using my fire once I admitted that I like you?"

Even when she said it a third time Jack almost couldn't believe it. He turned that thought away when he remembered the situation he was in. "Mostly that but, I think it also broke down a bit back on the nightmare ship when you told me about your powers." His eye softened in sympathy. "You said I was the only person to know the truth about your firepowers, so that makes me the first to know your side of the story and to accept that part of you."

Bridget no longer held a wary expression when it crossed her mind that maybe…just maybe Jack was right. She did recall how relieved she felt when Jack didn't flat out reject her after seeing her powers for the first time. He was there at her weakest point and he showed no signs of retreating from her or being afraid of her like everyone else. The fact that he accepted them so well astounded her greatly. It inevitably led for her to fall for him even more. The event back in Wexford established that not all people could trust her and still act scared from her abilities. Those made her learn that not everyone was going to be ready to know about her power yet but also remind her that she wasn't truly alone. Jack and the rest of the Guardians knew what it was like to be treated differently; Tooth knew that from experience also. But did that mean they knew the truth about Bridget's powers? No, Jack was still the only person who did and she wanted to keep that way until she believed they were ready to know.

But why did she trust Jack so much? Bridget wasn't sure about that one.

Though the answer to that question might've been that he was easy to talk to. He always seemed to have the right thing to say most of the time while she needed comfort. He even made things better with cheering her up and showing her what real fun was. All of a sudden it became very clear to Bridget, she trusted Jack so well because she needed that trust. No one else gave her the time of day before coming to Burgess, but none of them felt like they were at the same level as her. Sure she enjoyed spending time with the children but it still wasn't enough, she wanted to have a friend that was her age. Of course Jack technically wasn't seventeen but he was physically so it sort of counted. With that friendship grew a bond formed by trust and belief in one another. Naturally that trust grew along with the friendship unknowingly and became something more. But it all began with the need for trust and Bridget accepted Jack's as time rolled on.

The redhead looked over toward Jack and couldn't help but stare. With his snowy-white hair and glacier blue eyes Jack Frost really was someone to marvel at, not just because he was good looking, that was an added bonus and really added nothing to his character. But by the moon (Bridget started to think the moon as God now, there's no point in denying it.) he was handsome. It made no sense to her how someone like him liked her, especially someone who was good with kids, great sense of humor, and knew how to have fun. Basically he was the ultimate guy.

Still, Bridget had to admit that Jack had his faults with being impatient, easy to frustrate, and carrying some emotional baggage. But with all things considered she still thought highly of him. Jack never thought of himself before others when someone needed help. That was something that made him special Jack was the sort of person who would never give up on a person even when he felt like giving up on himself, no matter what anyone could count on him being there for a person. It's what made Bridget admire him from the start with him being so brave and kind, not all worrying about what might happen to him when someone else was on the line. Truly that undeniable trust helped Bridget out through her darkest moments.

Bridget could feel some rain on her cheeks. The wetness slowly rolled down her face and dripped to the edge of her chin. When she lifted her hand to her face she realized that it wasn't rain that she felt but warm tears. This diverted behavior caused her to hiccup slightly when she tried laughing. She didn't know why she wanted to, her mind was melting into fondue while her head was the pot. Her tears abruptly stopped falling when two cool hands pressed themselves on her face. The air was a few degrees colder than before but Bridget couldn't tell with her skin feeling so hot.

Jack couldn't stop the smile quirking upwards when he saw Bridget blush. It looked cute on her, he wasn't going to deny that anymore. Bridget was-no is cute. With his thumbs he wiped the warms tears on her face. "I'm going to take a guess here but I think you agree with what I had said, right?"

Bridget beamed, her silver eyes gleaming like two stars. She finally mustered an actually laugh and nodded, Jack's hands slipping away. "Yeah, you're when you're right. And thank you….for everything. And for being such a good friend."

"I still am your friend," Jack's eyes downcasted. "Unless…"

"We aren't after what we said?" Bridget finished for him.

Jack scratched the back of his head. "Yeah."

"Well…I don't think we can ignore what we had said to each other earlier."

"No."

Somehow hearing him answer swiftly made the Mini-fairies in her stomach flutter less and shrink considerably. Bridget curled the right side of her mouth until it grew into an earnest smile. "I'm not sure if we're really friends by this point."

In a different situation the look on Jack's face would've been considered priceless. His skin paled even whiter than it normally was and his eyes widened in horror. "But I thought-"

"Let me continue," Bridget consoled. "I don't think we're friends anymore because of how we feel for one another." She folded her hands together while her toes curled slightly. "I think after what we've been trough it's safe to say that we like each other way more than friends. Which is why I won't be saying sorry for what I'm about to do."

Jack had the reaction time for a half-second until a waft of air near his face blew from the force of Bridget moving towards it and bit his nose teasingly. He yelped in alarm and jumped back while covering his nose in shock. Bridget smiled sheepishly as a newfound blush spread across her face again.

Jack was about to open his mouth until Bridget beat him to it and said in a chipper manner, "You asked on the first day we met what nipping at someone's nose meant…well I just showed you. Of course you don't bite at people's faces but the cold air you blow at them tickles their noses in a familiar manner."

"_Oh Mr. Man in moon, if you saw me now you'd better have been happy I did that since you've toying with my emotions since day one…why isn't Jack responding? Shouldn't he be saying something or wait why is he smirking at me like that and why is his palm open like…oh no…" _Bridget cried out in alarm when Jack tried throwing a snowball at her face. "Hey!"

The winter spirit smirk widened into a large grin as another snowball appeared in his hand. "You do realize that tricking the ultimate trickster will land you in trouble right?"

Bridget 'epped' before swinging her body behind a tree to avoid another icy bomb aim toward her. "For what? Flirting? You've done it to me like several times already. It's sort of the role for both parties to share that."

Jack snickered. "Where is that written? In some mystical rule book?"

"No," Bridget shook her head, still hiding behind the tree. "It's just what couples do…at leas the ones I've always heard doing. Especially the boyfr-" She cut herself off when she noticed Jack barely inches in front of her.

Blue eyes bore into gray when the face belonging to those blue eyes held a look of interest. It was like the eager eyes from a lost puppy. "What did you just say?"

Bridget bit her lower lip and gazed at the ground. Ghost white fingers slinked under her chin to push it up so her face met his. "I, uh…almost said the word-involving boy who is more than a friend."

Jack nodded, his expression never changing. "Like…" he hesitated before speaking with more courage. "Like us." It was spoken like a truthful idiom, not a question.

"Like…like us." Bridget slowly agreed. "That's what I was trying to say earlier before the snowball throwing. I…I like you Jack. And I'm not going to hide that part of me from you again." She shook her head in affirmation. "That's not the sort of person I am anymore."

Jack really couldn't help himself but he hugged her again, grateful to hear her confess once again. It was almost like waking up from a dream over and over again; the whole thing felt too good to be real. He breathed out a sigh of relief while burying his nose into her hair, reveling that he was so close to the apple scent willingly. Bridget giggled from the cold breathing and asked, "I'm guessing this means you want to be my…boyfriend?"

A pause developed moments later. _"Oh…did I sound too forceful? I must've been too demanding. I ruined the only friendship I'll ever have!"  
_

"Yes," Jack answered. He pushed some space between them so she could look at him. "I do want to be with you Bridget, and if it means we need an official name for it then yeah, I can be the boyfriend while you're the girlfriend." A small grin appeared on his features.

Bridget felt her insides melt. Someone wanted her; someone actually wanted her! She was getting excited all over again. A broad grin appeared on both of the teenagers' faces until fire came out of her hands. This time Bridget reacted straight away and threw her hands away from Jack and clasped a lower branch from the tree. In a matter so seconds the branch became singed and fell to the ground.

Bridget spoke with wide eyes. "What just happened?"

"Well you…kinda burnt that tree's branch above us." Jack kneeled down to inspect the fallen branch and was surprised to see smoke arise from the blackened wood.

Bridget nodded, absentmindedly pulling her braid. "Yeah, that's-that's good to note."

Jack chuckled with bated breath. "Looks like we will need to work on that control of yours after all."

"I guess so. But hey this means I can bring it out."

"Maybe a little too well," Jack squinted his eyes he saw more smoke again…coming from Bridget's hair…. "Your hair was on fire too, apparently."

"Heh," Bridget pouted in disappointment with herself. "You'd think the weirdness of me would go down by now. Then again, this is me were talking about." She smiled wirily. "This must be freaking you out a lot huh?"

Jack smiled in amusement while leaning casually on the tree's side that wasn't burnt. "I make blizzards when I have a temper tantrum, seeing my girlfriend bring out fire from her emotions isn't the weirdest thing I've seen."

When Jack uttered the word 'girlfriend' Bridget pretty much lost it and more fire came out of her hands.

"Okay we REALLY need to work on some ground rules."

* * *

Bridget sat back inside the hole awkwardly sitting on the ground while twiddling her thumbs. The rain was still pouring down overhead but was gradually getting less heavy. Speaking of the rain, the precipitation caused her clothes and hair to stick to her skin like glue or Velcro. The same thing afflicted Jack with his normally messy hair was flattening thanks to the rain and, much to Bridget's newfound discomfort, his blue hoodie clung to his chest. It was very distracting.

Jack sat opposite of Bridget with his arms and legs crossed while staring directly at her. Yep, way too distracting. "Like I said, we need to set some ground rules." He was trying very hard to look at her face instead of how maroon coat clung to her skin. Oh MiM! He really was a creep.

Bridget still stared at the ground, unable to look at Jack. "What kind of ground rules?"

"How let's try not to set off your…'inner flame,'" Jack air quoted. "Nothing that'll get you overly emotional."

"Yeah," Bridget nodded. "I think giving me the title girlfriend triggered that, so no…pet names and stuff like that?"

"'Pet names.'"

"Well you know," Bridget blushed, she couldn't he didn't what fricken' pet names were. "Sappy stuff you nickname the person your dating and call each other like, 'honey'….'sweetie-pie' or…Moon-troll forbid 'babe'…" She visibly grimaced. "Man I hate when I hear people say that one."

Jack turned green momentarily. "I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit. Really?! People still do that?"

"You never notice couples say stuff like that?" Bridget was surprised.

"Of course not! I'm too busy with pelting snowballs with kids to focus on things like-like…"

"What we're discussing now?"

Jack nodded. "Well it's what we're trying to talk about you know. Being all…romantic like that makes my high maintenance self go all haywire and now sets myself on fire too." Bridget no longer felt self-conscious as she peered at Jack. "For now I'm still on the step of verbally admitting my feelings, I don't think I'm ready for anything else right now. With all the others things that is happening I don't know which is better or worse to do right now."

"I get what you mean." Jack replied. "I guess I'm still at that phase too." His skin was no longer sickly looking but slowly altered into a light purple. "I just like the idea that I can call you my…g-word." He eyed her as if asking whether she got what he was implying. Thankfully Bridget got the message and nodded. "And I like the idea of calling you…b-word but I can't say aloud yet out of fear of getting overexcited again."

"We'll need to work on that." Jack rubbed his hands before continuing, "Second ground rule might be that we might want to keep this between us." He was slightly worried Bridget might get the wrong idea but much to his surprise he nodded. "I don't think I can handle Tooth going crazy if she found out that you liked me. She's already rooting for me, you know, but I can't let her have the satisfaction of her being right…at least until I'm ready to say."

"Ditto with Bunny and me," Jack held a finger up when Bridget looked like she was going to laugh. "For the record, it was either him or Sandy or North. And I don't think North's philosophy would help since it's his and Sandy's personal mission to tease me about it since day one."

Bridget held her hands up in defense. "Hey it's fine but I have seven girls going on about me so I think I have more problems than you just to let ya know. And I think I have a third ground rule…though I think it might work along side the first one but whatever. I'm not ready for this whole thing to go further than necessary. It's only been a week of knowing you so I don't want to rush."

"Funny it felt a lot longer to me," Jack smirked causing Bridget to blush. She smiled feebly before admitting the same but then added, "And no flirting or doing anything that'll make me go…explode-y okay?"

"Like what?" Jack raised an eyebrow and grinned.

Bridget made a noise of protest before covering her face with her hands. "That, and every other look you give me!"

"I'm that good looking huh?" He couldn't help to goad with an even bigger smirk.

Bridget frowned into a deep pout. "Now you're just doing it on purpose."

"Sorry," Jack apologized though he didn't look like he meant it. "Didn't mean to surprise you."

"You're being such a tease right not it's scary." Bridget covered her eyes rather comically and waved her free hand yelling, "Just quit looking at me and stop talking with your sexy voice. I'll go into cardiac arrest if you continue."

Jack smiled even wider; he was enjoying this newfound power over Bridget way too much. Though he silently considered that the same thing would happen to him if Bridget did anything cute, which quite frankly happened a lot. He was sadden by the fact Bridget thought so lowly of herself when she actually looked very pretty when she smiled or laughed even. Her braid allowed most of her skin to be exposed without looking…indecent and Jack was slightly envious of how pink it looked compared to his pale complexion. There were also her eyes, MiM, her eyes looked so bright and lovely when she smiled with her teeth; there were a real beauty.

"_Man," _Jack inwardly frowned. _"I must be spending way too much time with the Kangaroo if I'm using __his __idioms to admire somebody's looks." _He silently decided what Bridget said was accurate and agreed that he'll try to be…less dazzling.

"Ugh!" Bridget twisted her face in discomfort. "Don't make _Twilight _references. If you still want me to respect you as a person, DO. NOT. MAKE. TWILIGHT. REFRENCES..."

Jack shot his hands up again and looked at her worriedly. "It wasn't intentional. I never even read the books." His nervous expression soon turned into a calculating look while grinning. "You'd have to have read the books if you know-"

"Don't," Bridget narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I never said I read the first book but I did only read it once and regretted that experience. No matter how much hot chocolate I take my brain still has that abomination of ass-ness."

A staredown commenced between the two that last for three seconds before they laughed their butts off. "What are we doing?" Bridget clutched her stomach for relief while her jaw strained over being pushed so widely.

Jack wiped a tear away while shaking his head. "I don't know."

"To think so much stuff has been happening so far." Bridget shook her head, trying to take in all of the things she had experienced. "This afternoon I was expecting to train and learn how to control my firepowers, I never thought that well…this whole thing could happen."

"The part about…about us?" Bridget swore she saw a hint of violet on Jack's cheeks.

"Yeah, but I…."

"What?"

"Do you think….it would be bad to say I wanted to try out my powers again?" She couldn't help but smile.

"_Oh great," _Jack inwardly groaned. And Bridget said his face made her go crazy. The look she was giving him was too adorable for words. Her eyes were wide with so much innocence in them; her lower lip almost went over her upper lip in the cutest fashion and her hands clasped together.

"Please…" Bridget purposely pouted her lip. "I promise I'll listen to everything you say."

Jack chocked out an airless laugh and sighed. "Fine…we can try again."

"YES!" Bridget pumped her arms up in victory. "Let's get started…again."

"_I'm slowly beginning to regret this again." _Jack silently lamented. "Okay let's try this again but slowly~ I don't want any more trees to get harmed or anything else for that matter." He did try to sound easy-going though Bridget inwardly winced with the fear that she might harm something either than wood. "You can bring out your fire a lot easier than before but now you need to learn summon the fire without getting emotional. Get that fire going not when you feel provoked but only let it out when someone is provoking you or when you need it the most."

Bridget nodded. "I'll try to bring it out when I'm thinking something nice and happy this time around." She opened up her palm and closed her eyes. With tightened eyes she started to see something through the darkness. A collection of bright colors mixed together while slowly taking on a shape. They would grow brighter with each passing second they grew much brighter into colors of orange, yellow, and red. The images danced around as the little tips licked the air and became taller; the darkness was chased away by the sudden light but did not leave permanently. The light only frightened them but didn't scare them enough to go away, something else was needed for the light.

All the many times before Bridget would beckon her inner flame it was always brought by the harsh fear and anger that swelled in her heart. Now she needed to find something else to bring it out, something less negative and more kind, wonderful, and happy. She smiled once thought of the perfect vision and slowly breathed out. When she opened her eyes Bridget smiled widely. On her palm was a small open flame. Jack mirrored her grin, showing he was just as amazed at what he saw and impressed at Bridget's skill. She grinned at Jack before looking at the tiny blaze. It flickered all over the middle of her hand barely less than an inch from the skin not at all burning it in any way. The fire was bright gold in the center with a ring of red layered over it and orange covering the whole flame. Bridget silently admitted that truly fire really was a sight to behold. Without a word Bridget clamped her hand, extinguishing the flame from sight.

"I can't believe I just did that," Bridget whispered in awe.

"Believe it," Jack whispered back, his eyes shown with bright playfulness. "You're showing a lot of promise Bridget so don't sell yourself just yet." He thought quizzically before adding, "I think that was the first time I saw you conjure fire without it looking the least bit aggressive if that makes any sense. You must've really thought of something nice to create the fire without having to get angry."

Bridget nodded enthusiastically. "I did." A small blush appeared on her face as the image replayed in her mind.

"And what was it?" Bridget turned her head away when she saw Jack smile.

She looked at the ground bashfully before her tone became meaningful. "Nothing special…it wasn't even a memory or anything. Mostly something that I'm not even sure if it'll happen someday or anytime soon." Her dimples returned once she smiled again. "But I do hope it does."

"I'm sure it will. 'Probably tell Sandy about it and he might make it come true." Bridget couldn't help but roll her eyes. "That sounds really cheesy, Jack. Do you want me to put the name 'Monterey' before your name for now on?" This time Jack rolled his eyes. "And you said I was being cheesy."

"Honestly I didn't know that Sandy made dreams or wishes come true. I thought he just made them come to life with the dreamsand." Bridget admitted looking outside to see if the rain cleared or not. Much to her relief it did and the clouds were slowly moving away also.

"Personally I don't know either," Jack agreed. "I just know he can make stuff out of dreamsand. M'not sure if he grants wishes too, I'll have to ask him that later."

"Hope he doesn't get the wrong idea of you thought he was a genie of some sorts," Bridget smiled teasingly.

Jack chuckled. "I'm starting to think I've rubbed off of you in some way."

Bridget stuck out her tongue while winking. "The only things I'll get from you are these lessons and occasional frostbite." She giggled wildly when Jack grabbed her by the waist and tickled her stomach.

He got revenge for the 'nipping' earlier by pinching her nose. Bridget yelped in alarm while getting out of Jack's hold. She blushed feverishly before remembering she needed to release her fire from the emotional spasm. Quickly she dispersed the fire out of her hands away from Jack but could not prevent her other important guy from getting hit. Poor Sal was still outside on the ground and didn't have time to dodge the fire. All was left was a small black, pile of ash.

Some great feeling of nothingness filled both teenagers with dread. Jack gaped like a dead goldfish while Bridget was completely void of any emotion at all. The only sign of showing her suffering was her knees buckling and falling right beside the pile. Jack did not try to stop her; he was just as empty as she was. Jack knew what it was like to lose animal companions in the past. The occasional lone wolf, a wounded deer, or even an abandoned baby penguin chick in the Antarctic, all of them became very close to Jack. Sadly, like all mortal creatures, they all died of natural causes no matter what he did to help them get better or prevent predators from harming them. In the end nothing could be done except let the cold take over their deceased bodies, nothing could've been done to save them Jack would attempt to assure himself while still mourning. There was nothing he could've done and Bridget…oh Bridget she looked so happy with Sal with all those moments they had together. He even protected Bridget from harm momentarily. Sal really was a good salamander and a good pet.

Jack slowly placed a hand on Bridget's shoulder. He gave it a comforting squeeze but said nothing. He knew that trying a reassure that losing Sal wasn't terrible would not help in the slightest. Jack soon felt Bridget's shoulders shaking. Whether it was from his cold hand or she was crying he wasn't so sure.

"I did this…" Jack heard Bridget say coarsely. "I did…" He kneeled down and gave her a comforting hug. "You didn't do anything wrong. It was a mistake. You didn't mean to…" he trailed off when saw something in the blackened soot. Something inside the ash moved. Through the fire a small flame was beginning to form into a color of….blue and black? Suddenly a small black mass scaled from the ashes. Bridget wiped her tears away and nearly dropped her jaw. Could it be?

Out from the ashes came Sal with his whole body cover in a blue flame that matched blue stripes. He was completely unharmed or scuffed with no signs of burnt in any form. The fire didn't seem to faze him at all. In fact he peered at Bridget with his beady eyes the surprisingly looked gray and even showed some small hints of emotion.

Bridget couldn't help but smile widely. Tears formed in her eyes like before but this time was full of joy. Hesitantly she opened her hands in front of the little amphibian, wanting to scoop up him. Sal inched toward her hands and curled himself over her palms. She wasn't surprised that she didn't feel any heart or pain from touching him; she was use to touching fire before and expected that it wouldn't hurt her. He felt cool and wet in her hands while he continued looking at her.

Jack stared at the salamander in both awe and disbelief. This probably took the cake as the second most incredible thing he witnessed that day. The first when Bridget admitted to liking him back, of course. "I don't understand…how could this be happening?"

Bridget said something under her breath that Jack couldn't hear. "What?"

The redhead turned, sporting a toothy grin, and proudly said, "This little guy is a fire salamander."

Jack drew his mouth into a thin line. "But I thought he was one."

Bridget shook her head. "No, not a normal fire salamander, a_Legendary_ salamander." When Jack still didn't follow what she meant Bridget further explained, "They were first mentioned by _Pliny the Elder. _He wrote in his 'natural history' book that salamanders born from fire couldn't die in fire because their skin was so cold that it could put out the flames itself."

"But Sal here is covered in fire," Jack pointed out. "How does that work?"

"Well," Bridget smiled rather sheepishly. "It's this theory that I was working on back at B.C.C, the idea was that legendary salamanders could be distinguished in two classes. The salamander I just mentioned belonged in the _Salamandra_ _Glacies _or Salamander of Ice Class. They're the ones that are considered fire restraints while the other Class, _Salamandra Ignis _or Salamander of Fire, are the ones Alchemists used in the past while they looked for the _Philosopher's Stone_.

"From what I've had researched alchemists used some sort of animal to act as a guinea pig to test out chemicals that would've been considered to dangerous to consume from a person. They chose fire elementals that could eat flammable chemicals if they were too poisonous in the air to breathe." For every second that past Bridget got more and more excited. She even started creating fire in her hands again; the blue flames on Sal grew larger. "Not only could the Ignis survive those poisonous gases but could also absorb them into their skin, hence the reason why most salamanders have toxic skin. At least that's what my hypothesis was. Oh~! It would so great if I could test that out someday."

"So let me get this straight," Jack held up a finger. "Sal here is a legendary salamander that apparently absorbs fire into his skin and can cover himself in some sort of blue fire."

"I know," Bridget squealed. "Isn't that cool?" She gave Sal a loving smile. "It has to be the reason why Sal was following me in the first place, because my firepowers must've attracted him to me in someway." Slowly the fire on her hands and Sal went away and he became cold again.

Jack frowned slightly before picking up Sal by the tail and giving him a hard look. "You better not be getting any ideas, Shorty, I saw her first."

Bridget giggled and covered her mouth. "'Never thought I'd see you get jealous over a animal."

"Well I still saw you first," Jack teased before giving Sal back. Bridget grinned while putting Sal back in her coat pocket. "Yes, yes you did." _"And if you hadn't none of this would've ever happened. Thank you, Jack."_

A comfortable silence formed between them while both deciding it was time to return back to the others. With the rain finally gone and no storm clouds away the walk back was slower than earlier. The grass and dirt felt wet and cold on Jack's feet but he was use to it. Bridget on the other hand seemed content and barely looked miserable, probably because of all of what had happened and the triumphant return of Sal. She must've been still high on the fact Sal is indeed a magical creature and that he was her pet.

"I can't wait to see the look on Bunny's face," Bridget grinned deviously. "He didn't like Sal before and he's probably gonna flip when he learns Sal's a legendary."

Jack smiled lopsidedly. "It's official; I'm starting to become a bad influence on you."

"Please, I've had a mischievous to myself for like ages. Remember the prank back in Burgess? That was almost all me you know."

"I helped with that one." Jack recalled with a smile.

"Yes you did." Her eyes soon grew distant. "It's so strange how long ago that feels like. But it was only like a week." She eyed him curiously. "Don't you find that weird?"

Jack thought deeply over that until he answered, "Not entirely. Sure it's been crazy since Day 1 but I really think I wouldn't change it…except the part with all the kids getting adducted." He glared at the ground before turning back to his original mood. "But either than that everything else was pretty good."

"How so?" Bridget was genuinely interested.

Jack smiled warmly. "Getting to do all the stuff with you is something I wouldn't want to change."

Five seconds later a boulder three feet on Bridget's right was smoldering from a blast of fire. "What did we talk about in the Ground Rules earlier?"

"Don't do anything that will resort you to shooting fire?" Jack gave a look of embarrassment.

"Ah-huh." Bridget nodded. "And saying stuff like that will get me flustered." She smiled empathetically at him. "Just wait a little longer until I can handle hearing things like that. It really does flatter me but it's like you said about me learning to control my emotions better in a more healthy way. It'll just take some more time."

Jack nodded. "I understand." He really did.

Bridget couldn't help a small frown from appearing from her face though. She hadn't been the best person around him and avoided him like the plague after the _Emily Confusion_. She really didn't to make Jack feel guilty but she wasn't ready for the whole relationship thing. She wanted to at least try for him. Without questioning it anymore and deciding to just go with it Bridget took the initiative. She clasped Jack's free hand and laced their fingers together. Jack widened his blue eyes in surprise from the sudden contact. Bridget averted her eyes momentarily while looking at the ground. "I'm still not ready for the more obvious stuff. But I do want to get out of my comfort zone a little bit, even if it's basic stuff like…well this."

Jack smiled, squeezing the laced hand. "I'm not complaining and I agree with you with not wanting to rush things…even if I already-" the sound of grumbling interrupted his thoughts. Bridget placed a hand over her stomach and smiled sheepishly. "Guess somebody didn't eat enough lunch earlier huh?"

"We can probably find something around here or…" Jack paused when he saw an…apple tree near the edge of the trail.

"An apple tree?" Jack suddenly frowned. _"Okay, some nature spirit must be stalking me."_

"Awesome!" Bridget exclaimed happily before running towards the fruit. The branches were low enough for her to reach the ruby red apple from the tree. She happily rubbed it clean with her shirt before taking a huge bite that caused a loud snapping sound to be heard. She smacked the fruit greedily and rolled back her eyes in pleasure. "Man, is this good."

Jack walked over to where Bridget stood and inspected another apple curiously. "How is this even growing this time of year? It's already December, apple trees produce fruit when it's fall."

Bridget momentarily shrugged. "Could be Mother Nature's doing. To be honest I don't know and don't care right now." She grinned after swallowing another bite. "And if it is her someone should tell her to stop with all this rain," her finger pointed to the sky while pretending to sound serious. "I mean c'mon we're passed soaked to the bone now."

"I don't think it's her doing though," Jack looked around the forest. "She said it herself that she could physically put herself in Ireland due to the Barrier."

"Winds and clouds can go through it though," Bridget indicated while still pointing at the sky with her finger in a whirly motion. "Anything is possible right?"

"I just find it weird how this is happening," Jack admitted. "This was the second time we found apples in the most unusual of places."

Bridget made a noise similar to 'nom-nom-nom' and did not paid much attention to what Jack was saying. When it came to apples, she loved them; she wasn't going to pay attention to anything else. Jack smiled and shook his head. "We should get back."

"'Cause my apple eating is creeping you out?" Bridget gulped a huge apple chunk nervously. Great, she was freaking Jack out again.

While shaking his head again Jack fixed her bangs, pushing them aside so they didn't cover her eyes. "Naw, it's just getting late is all." He grinned once more before walking away. He turned half of his waist around looking at the flustered redhead. "You coming?"

Bridget could feel her blush intensify. _"Oh~ he is totally being a flirty-pants right now." _A small smirk formed on her face again. _"Two can play at that game." _

Jack was glowing in confidence while walking leisurely almost strutting in a sense. "Jack!" He barely had time to turn around when he felt two lips press on the tip on the nose. His eyes barely widened for a millisecond until he heard Bridget squeak and jump away from him in five paces. She offhandedly shot a fire blast onto a patch of grass and smiled widely. Her gray eyes almost couldn't be seen from a layer of fog in the glasses.

"Remember, I still am working on the comfort zone thing!" She stammered back to him while running down the pathway she did remember seeing before Jack 'blindfolded' her.

Jack was trying to remember who he was and what universe he was in until he recalled reality again and a small smirked played on his features. "Someday I'll get her back without any fire blasts; someday."

* * *

**Q-A:** _*Blushing feverously*_ Did I really just write all that? X3 Boy I hope that didn't looked too rushed or anything or if lines repeated itself over OR if you were expecting something more romantic, but don't worry. Their official 'date' will be a lot more, but next chapter will be Guardian/Bridget bonding time as they continue on their little road-trip! XD It'll be fun in my opinion. But…

_**WARNING!** _I am going to have exams this week so I WON'T be able up date until the week after next. With graduation coming for me AND relatives visiting to see it and spend time with me I might not get a lot of work on writing. Just thought I'd like to warn you.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	25. An Insomniac's Obvservation

**Q-A: **Here we go with chapter 25! If this in anyway feels short to you is because it is! DX Getting your wisdom teeth removed is a bitch! I couldn't think more than what I wrote here because of how much my jaw's been killing me…okay I did write more after this note obviously, but you get the point! D: Sorry I didn't mean to sound …mean but my jaw hurts. None of the painkillers help, they just make me all drowsy and…zzzzz Whoa, I think I fell asleep again….zzzzz probably ironic since this chapter is mostly centered on the Sandman and all….zzzzzz.

Well whatever something about pancakes and pickle chips and rhinestones….zzzzzzzz 0x

**Disclaimer: **None of these characters belonging to DreamWorks or The Greater God of Moonbots is mine. Story and are mine though.

* * *

_~An Insomniac's Observation~_

It took getting use to for the other Guardians when they learned of Sal's apparent true species reveal. He was still a salamander only with a few **minor** differences. To be honest how they discovered it was kind of a funny story, or at least it was for Sanderson. Bridget and Jack were returning from their…'walk' (yeah he seriously knew something else happened but obviously he wasn't there to see it) and she was running excitedly toward the camp with her little black and blue (Sandy couldn't help but laugh at his choice of words) amphibian in her hands. She walked over the where he, the Sandman, and the rest of the Guardians stood while speaking wildly to them.

Sandy needed to blink twice while trying to take in the news. Bridget had just told them that during their 'walk' (still not believing it) she and Jack discovered that Sal was no ordinary salamander (as Bridget put it) a _Salamandra Ignis. _Sandy was surprised to hear this initially, for the most part he wasn't one hundred percent sure if what the redheaded girl explained was all that true. He didn't think she was lying, not at all, but the Sandman was only having trouble with considering if Sal really was a mythological creature or not. While he never showed any signs that he wasn't one Sal did have one thing against him: his coloring. Most of the fire Salamanders the Sandman saw in the **DEEP **ancient past all appeared with skin tones that matched their element correctly (ex. red, yellow-orange, dark orange). None of them weren't completely black or had bluish markings; those who did were compared with the other type of salamanders. So trying to grasp that Sal was indeed a fire elemental seemed very unlikely for Sandy. The other excuse was that magical salamanders were even scarcer than dragons are today. Many of the poor amphibians were exploited feverishly in the past by ignorant humans who did experimented on every salamander they could find and nearly killed them all. To this day Sandy couldn't help but feel deep regret for not trying to do something to help the little creatures. Sandy always did have a soft spot for the little guys.

But much to the Guardian of Dreams surprised, along with the rest of the Guardians, they saw a befuddling thing. Bridget gently padded Sal into the camp's fire and a blast of blue flames appeared in a brief explosion. Before he could reprimand her for such a reckless and horrible act of cruelty a black object popped out of the flames taking the blue fire with it. Collective gasps were heard as the small black blob shifted back into a four-legged animal as the fire slowly went out. Sal shook a small layer of soot off him and eyed the Guardians carefully.

North had almost found the whole thing very strange while looming over the fiery amphibian. The other gaping Guardians and Sandy nodded while Jack smiled proudly and Bridget grinned happily at her pet. She didn't seem fazed by that explanation though and exclaimed that Sal was basically cool. Bunnymund or Edmund (Sandy **still **found that name hilarious!) didn't seem so fond of Sal though. The pooka never really liked the salamander in the first place with the fear of it climbing its mucus-covered body into his ears. After learning that Sal could be literally set ablaze freaked out Bunny even more. The poor pooka hopped around the field in a frantic manner and cursed with Australian jargon curses that no one could understand thankfully. It took the remaining Guardians fifteen minutes to calm down Bunny long enough to convince him that Sal wasn't going to be dangerous and not burn his fur off. He (begrudgingly) consented after a while but said as a matter of fact that he wouldn't go anywhere near the 'slug' until he knew that it wasn't going to be scorching his fur off.

With that little mistaken danger out of the way the rest of the evening went without a hitch. A tasty squash soup was prepared for dinner with a surprising side dish of sliced apples. Bridget and Jack claimed to have found a tree on their way back despite the fact how obviously apple trees shouldn't be making anymore apples this time of year, but he decided not to question it. Beggars can't be choosers after all.

Dinner was a quiet affair with some friendly conversation exchanged between those who could talk. Sandy did his best to stay in the banters by creating more lovely images in journal. He continued making these since Bridget seemed to have enjoyed looking at them back in the sheep trailer and kept staring in awe of the illustrations. Silver and golden stars twinkled the paper sky while schools of starfish swam behind the beautiful starships that traveled though the Sea of Stars. Sandy was an expert of the Golden Age with knowing all the dreams and wishes from children and what they wanted and believed in. All that knowledge allowed Sandy to write the most thrilling tales that went along with his own adventures that allowed him to show everything to Bridget and Jack without any hints of boredom. Nightlight sometimes supplemented what he vaguely remembered and told of the fun stories of how he and MiM would play around the Moon Clipper and how they hid from Tsar Lunar XI and his wife so that they could stay up later. It was all fun, Jack had said and would mention of the times he saw kids trying to hide in snowforts to escape the so-called horrors from bedtime as well.

The only words Bridget ever spoke were how she wished she could've lived in a world like the Golden Age. A time when fairness and imagination was encouraged and fear did not exist. Sandy would remind Bridget that fear **did **indeed live but was not as frightening as Pitch was. Before he could write anything else down North advised everyone that it was late and that they all needed their rest. It was North's way of saying that talking about the boogeyman in front of the Leetle Girl wasn't a smart idea.

Eventually they all settled down around the campfire while the flames slowly dimmed into embers. North snored loudly with the noise imitating the sounds of the thunder from earlier. Bunny sighed in exasperation from the noise while covering his ears. Being a rabbit or pooka with excellent hearing must've been painful. Tooth slept so soundly that the only signs that proved she was even alive was the gentle breathing blowing through her nose and the occasional twitch from her multicolored feathers. Nightlight stood up on the highest branch of a pine tree with the greatest vigilance Sandy hadn't seen before. The spectral boy was someone remarkable Sandy mused. Petrov slept soundly while the Mini-fairies buried themselves inside his fur coat.

That was an odd sight. Sandy usually saw them going to Jack first before being shooed away by Tooth. What made tonight different that they went straight to bed on someone else. Suddenly Sandy could hear a small sound that reminded him of soft giggling. Without a second thought Sandy quietly crawled up to where the sound came from and with the silence of a ninja crept onto the Christmas carts' ledge. Two pairs of legs dangled over the side of the cart while the two people who possessed those legs whispered in near silence to one another. Sandy had to give them credit for being quiet at least. He inched toward the rear of the cart when he heard Bridget whisper.

"Okay, tell me if you've ever done something super embarrassing."

"Like what?"

Sandy heard Bridget giggle heartily. "I don't know…something you wouldn't admit to anyone else."

"Fine…I tried drinking hot chocolate once during a meeting at North's workshop six months ago and nearly melted my tongue."

"How is that embarr-"

"I'm not done yet…after that disastrous attempt I ended up spit-taking most of it out on Bunny's face by accident."

Another small giggle was heard though Sandy had a feeling Bridget tried even harder not to laugh out loud. Sandy even smiled when he remembered that meeting vividly. Jack was giving hot coco by the elves when it should've been **iced **chocolate but being elves weren't so smart. Bunny ended up getting most of his fur scorched and chased Jack around for the remainder of the meeting. That was the last time Jack stayed for a whole time at one of the Guardians' meetings.

"Man, you must've avoided Bunny like the Plague after that."

"Like I didn't before?"

More quiet laughter was heard. "So what about you, little Miss Perfectionist? Got any embarrassing secrets I don't know about yet?"

"Oh please, like I'm a perfectionist…Besides I think you know some of the more embarrassing things I've done after today."

"Never thought I'd see a tree branch fall like that." Jack spoke in a wistful tone.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I just hope that doesn't happen again." Sandy was starting to grow curious. What tree branch? Did Bridget make a tree branch fall and why?

"It won't if we figure something out."

"You don't really sound all that sad about the tree branch dying."

"It didn't die…it just fell on it's own."

"Yeah and I'm the _Queen of Sheba._" Sandy could clearly hear sarcasm in Bridget's voice. "Could you at least mourn for the tree a little bit?"

"And~ I should because?"

There was a momentary pause and the sound of shuffling could be heard. Sandy assumed that Bridget might've shrugged her shoulders from Jack's question before answering, "I don't know, I guess I feel a little sorry for the plant. It didn't ask to lose its branch. It could be like losing an arm or leg in our terms."

"Someone's thinking pretty deep just now." More shuffling was heard and Bridget giggling soon added to it.

"Yeah… I guess with all the stuff that's happened so far I can't help but think aloud of all the little stuff swimming in my head."

"I can help remove some of those thoughts." Sandy could feel his face heating up from the choice of words and was ready to scold at the two until a blast of fire shot out of the cart. Sandy was momentarily stunned until he picked himself up and investigated.

"Oh honestly!" Bridget exclaimed while quickly waving her hands around and then grabbed Sal. She silently spewed out a sigh of relief when she saw Sandy poke his head. "Hiya Sandy." She pushed a strand of red hair awkwardly and gave Sandy a largely unnecessary smile. "Sal…um got all fired up again and shot flames into the air." Her words seemed jumbled and mislaid. "Right Jack?"

The winter spirit visibly winced when he felt a jab of his arm from Bridget nudging his shoulder. "Yeah, right. That's what happened."

Sandy wasn't convinced by the obvious lies but decided not to show it. If they didn't want to say the truth to him Sandy would allow himself to wait until they were ready. Sandy was a gentleman like that. He was so much of a gentleman that he even placed some dreamsand on Bridget so she could rest properly which caused her to pass out on Jack and wrap her arms around his waist.

The embarrassed scowl on Jack's face was worth it.

* * *

"So know ve must figure out a vay to retrieve Stone." North's voice boomed the next morning while he thumped the stump that he was sitting on. Some of his apple spice breakfast soup rippled from the shake but did not spill.

"At the Hill of Tara?" Bunny added while nibbling on another one of his carrots.

North nodded. "Indeed. Ve only have less than three veeks to stop the Morrígan from attempting to do vhatever she has up sleeve."

"We'll have to figure out a strategy." Tooth advised. She stirred her soup halfheartedly before continuing, "We can't just simply take the stone. There might be a trap set by the Morrígan."

"One does not simply walk to the Stone of Fál," Bridget made an odd hand gesture before snickering to herself. It took Sandy less than a second to realize that she was making a joke. Whatever the reference was meant to be from was lost to the Sandman and everyone else apparently since no one laughed either. She smiled sheepishly before looking at her feet like they were the most interesting objects in the world. Poor girl, she obviously was trying to make light of the situation. Sandy covered his mouth and bobbed his head to make it look he was laughing. When Bridget looked up momentarily she gave him a small smile, believing that he understood her joke.

North coughed slightly before agreeing with Tooth. "Yes, planning is good. Ve'll need to think of a tactic vhile getting rock."

"Couldn't we just do it the old fashion way and just take it?" Nearly everyone shot glares at Jack. He put his hands up in defense. "I'm just saying that it would be more efficient don't you think?"

"I kinda agree with Jack on this one." All eyes turned to where Bridget sat. She twiddled her thumbs nervously before adding, "It would seem like wasting too much time focusing on planning when we should act. The Morrígan did say she was going to get stronger as each day passed, right? I think we should try and find the stone ASAP and stop her before anything else happens to the kids." She nodded her head as if trying to affirm herself. "Maybe I can even try being a more…active role in the group?"

Sandy wasn't sure where this newfound confidence was coming from but had to admit he was glad to see Bridget not being shy anymore.

"Like~" Bunny trailed off while crossing his arms.

"Starting with that training again." Bridget grinned enthusiastically. "I think I've finally understand the whole thing about my full potential and stuff."

Jack smiled in a way Sandy assumed that it held a hidden agenda. Something **really **was happening between the human girl and winter spirit.

"You're sure about that?" Bunny couldn't help but sound a little skeptical about that guarantee.

Bridget nodded, "You bet. I won't let you down this time. I'm not afraid to hold back anymore."

"Ve'll see," North spoke in finalization. "Training vill be essential, no doubt about that. But are you sure of trying to use veapons again, Leetle Girl?"

Another nod. "Yes, but this time I think I wanna try the spear."

"_Spear?" _If he could have still make dreamsand Sandy would've made a golden question mark over his head to underline his confusion. Nightlight looked a little perplexed while looking over his own spear with the diamond/tear dagger.

"Vhy? Ve don't have spear…." North scrunched his face in confusion before realization settled in finally. "Oh…you vant to use Spear of Lug. No, much too dangerous."

"On what grounds?" Bridget stood up and crossed her arms. "Is it a danger for me or for the spear?"

"Both," North simply replied though he didn't sound so sure from the tone Sandy heard him use. "You are much of importance as spear is to us."

"Glad to know my life is measured up to a giant toothpick." The deadpan was very much alive in Bridget's derision. "You didn't seem so hesitant when you allowed me to use a sword yesterday. A **giant** sword if I might add, against Nightlight with his own spear."

"That vas…different."

"You have to give me another chance. I want to learn how to fight and I think the spear could be much easier for me to work with." Sandy silently praised Bridget for her sounded reasoning. "If it looks too old or fragile to use then I'll let it go but I swear North this time I really will try my hardest. Not that I didn't the other day but this time I know what my limits are and I'm starting to have a better understanding about it."

Gray eyes were brimmed with so much determination that Sandy almost felt like falling from his seat. Bridget was truly set on proving herself. He was starting to feel a small sense of pride for her with all the hope and optimism swelling within her.

It didn't surprise Sandy that much when he saw Jack give Bridget a genuinely warm smile. He was giving her a lot of those types of smiles lately. Oh yeah, Sandy knew something was definitely going on between them. But anyway, back to the plot.

Bridget guilt-tripped North with the most earnest and wide eyes she could muster. Clearly she mastered the skill of begging very well since Sandy noticed that she wasn't overdoing it with a pouting lip. The lip pouting would've pushed her luck. In the end only one was going to be the victor.

The great Bandit King conceded defeat. North sighed, "Fine. You can try using spear."

Sandy couldn't hear for thirty seconds after Bridget squealed and gave North a grateful hug. "Thank you! I won't disappoint you." Sand could see North's heart melting away just from the look he gave her.

"I am sure you von't."

* * *

And true to her word Bridget didn't. It was almost like she really was a different person with how much her attitude changed with all things considered. Being paired with the spear also proved to be a very good improvement for her also. For one thing, the spear was a bit lighter than the sabers North carried around for Bridget to hold up. She did look a little hesitant before touching it though, almost like she **was **afraid to touch it. Why she behaved like that momentarily didn't seem to faze the others as much as Sandy but it was most likely that he spent more time observing people than anyone else, minus Nightlight of course but he was excused since he was meant to be more focused on the spear with him having to spar Bridget at the moment. Sometimes Sandy noticed Jack tensing slightly from the rock where he sat whenever Nightlight swung his staff near Bridget's head or other body parts. Sandy would silently chuckle. Jack was trying too hard to not look like he was being overprotective again. Him and the rest of the Guardians were but Sanderson digressed.

He would just rather enjoy the moment and observe while he could. Naptime was almost upon him….once…

SNORE~! Zzzzz...

* * *

**Q-A: **The hell? DX God this was a weak chapter! Don't you people dare say otherwise. NOTHING happened. I'm SO sorry but this really was all I could write with my teeth killing all and me this other stuff going around right now. I promise the next one won't be so crappy! Please review if you want but don't abandon me! I get lonely easily.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	26. It Will Be A Great Divide?

**Q-A: **Here is a far superior chapter than the last one. My teeth aren't hurting anymore so I'll have more time to focus on writing for all of you guys. ^^ This chapter is partially inspired by Melissa Etheridge's _It Will Be Me_ for the _Brother Bear 2_ movie and the McClain sisters' _The Great Divide _from the Tinkerbell movie _The Secret of the Wings. _God I'm such a sap for Disney. XD Just as much for William Joyce stuff too. XDDD

**Disclaimer: **I own none of the characters except Bridget. XDD

* * *

_~It Will Be A Great Divide?~  
_

The crows inched near the cobblestones while their Phantom Queen muttered darkly to herself. They scuttled away when a blast of purple and black smoke shot out from her hands and evaporated from the fragment of clothing she clutched tightly.

The Morrígan sighed in exasperation. "The spell isn't responding. It is taking too much energy to conjure."

Hidden behind an ancient tapestry the goddess' shadowy servant emerged from the veil. The shadow's metal mask smiled expressionlessly while the specter shifted to where the goddess stood. He hovered over the Death God with little trouble while eyeing the fabric with interest. _**Still trying to work on your little project I see.**_ The mask's smile was almost mocking in appearance with the jagged lines forming the smile held a secret gleam.

"So far I've gained little success." The Morrígan scowled, clearly displeased with herself. "How am I to invoke the curse to that girl if she is so protected?"

_**The False Gods? **_

"No," the goddess glowered at a carved wall. The goose and her girl were still in their eternal petrifaction. "They maybe a physical barrier but nothin I can't penetrate. I speak of the symbols adorned on the worshiper's jacket. Fire Arrow is still a presence. She wants the throne. She can't have the throne. THRONE WILL BE!"

SLAP! Crows cawed in alarm as they flew for the safety of the earth mounds' stone rafters.

The Morrígan widened her blood-red eyes in actual astonishment. If she were half the race she was the Morrígan would've chocked. "You struck me." She touched her chin and smelled something metallic. The shadow wiped his clawed nails clean of the lesser goddess' ichors. _**Only to bring you back to your senses. Gods, you can be so distracted by the littlest issue.**_

"And yet you put up with me," the Morrígan smirked. "Whether you like it or not you need me."

_**Not as much as you **_**need **_**me,**_the shadow countered. The Morrígan cursed. He spoke the truth. Her mind would be in a far worse state of insanity if he weren't there for her in the last 5000 years. _**You need me even more now that we know that little girl is a threat.**_

"I can't touch her, as long as she wears those damned symbols around her." The Morrígan paced near the long open grounds below the cages. She hissed in annoyance when she heard the sounds of the pathetic whimpering from the young False God worshipers. Their constant moaning was splitting her mind further into the Otherworld. But they were needed if the spell would be casted properly on the winter's moon. "How can I have the full field advantage if that little thorn cannot be hexed by my own hands? The barrier protecting the girl makes it difficult for me to cast my curse with the symbols interfering with my mind-magic. I need that girl weakened in order to cast the spell, but I must have her vulnerable first."

_**Have someone else do it.**_The shadow shrugged his nonexistent shoulders. _**Leaves less of a mess when some other person does your dirty work.**_

"That was already attempted," the Morrígan reminded him. "Using a mortal so feeble in mind and strength was a disastrous choice."

_**Then don't send a bird to do a man's job,**_the shadow appeared before her. _**Nighttime is almost upon us. My form won't be destroyed as long as I travel away from the light. Not even the moon can harm me if I stay close to my element.**_

"Have you leave?" The Morrígan narrowed her eyes incredulously. "I might as well let Fire Arrow take the throne and let the False Gods keep their _**precious **_worshipers."

_**I understand your concerns,**_ the shadow spoke coolly; he needed to if he could have her concede. _**But you said so yourself. 'The girl cannot be touched by your own hands.' I myself can't touch her but I can certainly learn much by observing.**_The mask's smile looked wicked in the underground shadows surrounding the dark man. _**All beings have a weak point milady; the girl must have a weak link inside her that is just begging to be broken.**_He nearly smirked in triumph when the goddess appeared to be swayed.

_**Allow me to go watch the girl and those so-called Guardians. I can find the weakness within them for you to make your curse.**_The shadow's words were soothing and lulled the Morrígan into a false sense of security.

The Morrígan pondered for a moment, her black feathers shifted in contemplation. After a few moments a deep sigh was heard. "Very well, but I have no other choice. You **will **return by the end of three days or I will make sure of it that you'll never be able to crawl outside of the shadows again."

Golden eyes inside the mask narrowed but did not strike. _**So be it. Mark my words when I say I will have that girl under your power. I'll make sure of it. **_

* * *

"Now then let's try this again." Bridget narrowed her eyes, as she stood dangerously low to the ground. The voice of her Sifu spoke out again. "Keep your stance, remember what you've learned."

The redhead breathed in through her nose then remained stoic. She listened to the paddling of the water while loosening the coils inside her stomach. Her body no longer became tense as the sun beaten down on her form. A twig snap was heard and she reacted quickly. Nightlight appeared before her with a pebble, ready to throw at her way but she dodged the stone and spectral boy. With a kick from her legs Bridget fell to the ground and rolled to her side before standing up. She mentally cursed when she felt water pulling onto her foot that stood six inches in the creek.

"Good job, Pupil Bridget." Bunnymund called out from his sitting stone. He hopped over moments later and handed Bridget her egg-glasses back. "You're movements need some more work but you're improving and that's what I like to see."

Bridget sighed while putting her glasses back on. She took her foot out of the water and removed the sock and sneaker. "I just wish I didn't mess up on the landing. I was trying to do a summersault but I got sloppy in the end of my barrel roll."

"Nothing we can't practice over," Bunny spoke lightly. The two of them walked down by the stream until reaching the campground. Nightlight bounded behind with a spring in his step as he threw his pebble up and down in the air and caught it in the last second. He enjoyed getting the chance to help Bridget improve on her skills; it was all like a fun game for him.

"But how can that last?" Bridget bit her inner cheek. "With spear practice with Nightlight and re-learning how to read with Jack I'm pretty much booked."

"Aww c'mon," Bunny rolled his green eyes in amusement. "You haven't let anything else worry you before." He poked her knee playfully. "Don't let it all make you sick with worry."

"I know, I know." Bridget brushed it off. "I guess I'm over thinking things again."

"E'erything'll be fine Shelia," Bunny promised. "We'll get all them treasures together and kick that Morrígan's arse to the moon and back." The pooka chuckled while Bridget joined him. Spending large amounts of time with the Aussie slowly gave Bridget a similar sense of humor like him.

"North-I NO! Don't-" Bridget heard Jack grunt a few paces away while spying the former Cossack towering over the winter spirit. "Now, just put it on. Leetle Girl vill be back shortly. Ve must know if hat makes difference or not."

"Uhh, guys." Bridget raised a finger while trying to get the two Guardians attention.

North turned around and smiled broadly. "Leetle Girl. Good to be seeing of you. I vant to know vhat you think of Jack's new look, huh?" He literally held Jack up by his shoulders. On top of the Guardian of Fun's head was North's fur hat, albeit eschewed slightly.

"_Great North," _Jack mentally moaned. _"This is the last time I let my guard down with you around." _

Bridget titled her head to the side as she gave Jack's appearance a calculating look. Moments later the redhead surprisingly sighed and pouted. "No fair, why does Jack get to wear your hat North? I wanna try it on too."

North held a very puzzled look momentarily before recomposing himself. "Ah, vell yes. Um, I shall allow that-" "Told you so, North." Jack said unexpectedly before removing the fur hat off of himself and shoving it in North's hands.

Bridget walked to where North stood and eye him curiously. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing." North waved Bridget's question away. He led Bridget to where the others were and even placed his furry hat on her head, much to the girl's glee.

Bunny glanced over to where Jack stalked away and smirked. He opened his mouth but Jack already beat him to the punch. "I don't want to talk about it."

The pooka shrugged. "Fine. Keep you problems bottled up if ya like."

"Oh Bridget," Tooth hurried over to where the shorter girl was and squealed. "The fairies and I just came up with this new little hair trick we want to try out on you." Her pink eyes gleamed in excitement.

"A new 'hair trick?'" Bridget eyed the fairy human/hummingbird carefully. "Is that such a good idea?"

"Oh please!~ I promise it'll be a lot of fun." Tooth gushed. "You'll still have your braid on but the girls and I came up with this new hair style we have just been dying to try out."

"And you've had this idea in your head for how many seconds?" Bridget asked with humor in her tone.

"Twelve." Tooth answered straight back. She went on and on how cute Bridget would look with new feathers in her hair while the girl gave the male Guardians nervous glances.

"Can't get you outta this one, Shelia." Bunny yawned before stretching out on a rock to sunbathe.

"Have fun." Jack wiggled his fingers at her and winked.

"I hate you." Bridget called back lovingly while she imagined daggers to come out of her eyes and to chase the darn pooka and winter spirit.

"Girls all should have bonding time, yes?" North inquired to Sandy who gave the ex-Cossack a very serious nod.

Once the girls left the field, the boys ended up laughing for a good five minutes.

* * *

"Just sit still for another few moments." Tooth squinted her eyes to inspect the red locks before coming to the conclusion. "And done!" The Mini-fairies chirped with excitement while Tooth handed them the comb she was using.

Bridget sighed for the umpteenth time before smiling weakly. "Glad to know I was your _Barbie _for today."

"Oh, don't get so overdramatic," Tooth rolled her eyes. "I have so much fun getting to do all this girly stuff with you. Plus seeing your hair like this is very pretty." The Fair Queen ushered Bridget to stand near the creek and look over at the water. "Just look at nice it looks."

Tooth had kept her promise of keeping Bridget's hair in a braid. Instead of its usual tight French braid style her hair was a bit looser in what Tooth had called a 'fishtail' braid. Blue, green, and gold feathers assented the hair in a way that rival Native American hair braids. A few dark purple feathers hanged lose above her bangs. The end of the braid rest on Bridget's left shoulder with a few light blue feathers tied to it. Everything about her new hairstyle left Bridget speechless.

"It's good…right?" Tooth wasn't able to read Bridget's face that entirely well. The younger girl held an unreadable expression for a moment before a huge grin blossomed. "It's perfect, Tooth. Thank you very much. And your little helpers too." She gave the Mini-fairies a nod and they chirped back in gratitude.

"It's nice getting to do this kind of stuff with you." Tooth said cheerfully. "We barely get much time alone together and I like that."

"Me too," Bridget admitted. "Girl bonding time isn't **so **bad I guess."

"Especially when we can talk about boys~!" The redhead did not try to hide her frown. _"Of course Tooth would bring that up again." _

A small thought soon came into Bridget's mind. She soon got an idea. An awful idea. Bridget soon got a wonderful, awful idea. Her grin morphed into a giant smirk as she turned her head back toward Tooth's direction. "You must like boys too if that's all you like talking about when we're alone."

Tooth's pupils shrank considerably.

"_Bull's eye!" _Bridget crossed her arms. "Is there somebody that **you **like? Sure you admit that you love Jack's teeth but surely there must be someone that pulls your heartstrings."

The blush was apparent on Tooth's face. She looked to the ground and muttered feebly, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Ah-uh, Tooth you are so not avoiding this conversation at all."

"I would like a new conversation piece, please."

"You are not changing the subject."

"How are your teeth? Have you been flossing in-between meals like I suggested?"

"I won't tell." Bridget smirked in triumph when Tooth gasped in horror. "Not until you spill."

Tooth groaned in irritation.

* * *

"Ah~ struth! Why does this bloody matter to you?" Bunny pointed at Jack.

Jack dropped his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Don't you shrug yer shoulders at me, Mate. You don't bring up a bloke's love life unless you want to be serious about it and ask."

"Are them fightin' words, Kangaroo?" Jack arched an eyebrow with good humor.

"Sheila's right, your grammar is terrible." Bunny retorted with a slight smirk.

"Pftt," Jack rolled his eyes. "That's not what I want to talk about right now-"

* * *

"-What I want to talk about it the guy **you're **in love~ with, Tooth." Bridget's eyes gleamed earnestly.

The Tooth Fairy sighed, finally giving in. "I probably should've seen this coming. After all I did pull at you for your moments. It only makes it fair if you do the same on me."

Parts of Bridget's face fell after hearing how soft Tooth's voice became suddenly. "You...don't have to say anything if prefer not-" The Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies raised her hand. "No, I should tell you this. We're friends and I can't keep this from you."

Bridget sat quietly while Tooth began to weave her tale.

"The story I'm about to tell you might share some similarities with yours and Jack's, I think. At least it reminds me of it." Tooth smiled sheepishly before continuing. "The story is about a girl and a man…well maybe a woman would make more sense but I'm getting off track. Anyway it all started-"

* * *

"-With two entirely different people meeting in the most unlikely of ways." Bunny sat on a stump near the edge of the forest while Jack rested on the ground with his legs crossed. He held his staff casually while hearing the pooka's tale. "The man, who really wasn't much of a man lived his whole existence believing logic was the way to go and feelings weren't all that important."

"Why is this sounding a lot like _Spock's _back-story?" Jack asked in a bored tone.

Bunny scowled at the winter spirit. "Do you want to hear the damn story or not?"

"Hey-ho, I do," Jack raised his hands in defense. "I was just wisecracking."

"No, you were being a wise-ass." Bunny's blunt rebuttal came swiftly, much to the astonishment of Jack. "As I was saying, the…man-who wasn't a technical man- thought emotions were not really important. He thought making experiments and creating new ways to improve the mundane lives for the people on this planet. He didn't even think about others or emotions. He had much more important things for fuss over." The more Edmund A. Bunnymund talked, the more he began to sound very ardent about this story.

* * *

"All he ever wanted was to make everyone live in a bright age full of hope and light without ever considering the idea of adding himself to the equation. In his own selfishness he was in fact very selfless without even realizing it. The woman-who wasn't a woman didn't take much notice of this because she was too busy." Tooth looked at the creek with a forlorn look.

She sighed. "Too busy to see the good in him. She never did enjoy the gifts he gave to children-"

* * *

"-Always raving about how bad it was for kids too." Bunny barked a chuckle, ears twitching in exasperation. "He thought less highly of her because of that and for how she behaved. All the shelia ever did was act on her emotions and fighting without a plan. She was everything like a bird; impulsive, quick to offend, and always thinkin' in a way only someone with pride could act." His expression slowly softened. "But when circumstances forced the two different people on the same plane, things grew complicated between them."

* * *

"She started to see behind all the sophisticated air and pompous aura was a brave, loyal, and thoughtfully kind being." Tooth smiled with a hint of fondness. "Of course he would go on several tirades denying to hold such traits but that didn't stop the others teasing. The group the non-woman and non-man were put together in slowly became something they grew use to being around. It took time for the non-man to slowly change but it was for the better.

"A dark time soon fell on the group though when tragedy struck."

* * *

"It began when a girl that was part of the group ended up getting taken from them." Bunny became solemn on his mien. "For days the group searched and grew frantic with fear. The logic-firing man for once in his life had no idea where to find the girl, how to find her, and if she was safe or not. For the first time in his life, he started to actually feel emotions. He wasn't the same after from that experience."

* * *

"Eventually the girl was found, thanks to help of a silent, but kindhearted, friend. The journey the group took to find her took its toll on them considerably, the non-man most of all. He went through so many changes to go help find the lost girl. No longer was he afraid to show his true emotions, the non-man began to change. Whether it was for better or worse no one really knew. The non-woman was saddened though when she had learned that he stopped making his gifts for the children. He started to focus more on another type gift and a few other things."

Bridget felt her lip quivering and slowly realized that her eyes were watering. She silently cursed and discreetly wiped them away the best she could. Even though Tooth wasn't speaking directly about Katherine Bridget knew that she was the girl that must've been taken away and possibly made the old Guardians drift apart. And hearing how Bunnymund changed was a little hard to swallow. She wondered what he was like in the past but now she was starting to reconsider whether him changing was a good thing or not.

* * *

Jack was always resentful of the Guardians; he never denied that. They would always get kids to believe just by bribing them with petty gifts once a year while he worked his butt off to ending up almost never getting their attention and the moon's as well. Suddenly, after hear Bunny's story, Jack was starting to think things a little differently. The Guardians of Childhood almost lost to Pitch like **a lot **of times in the past. Every time when it looked like they would be beaten, some convenient Dues Ex Machina to save them. Losing Katherine broke that pattern real fast. When she got kidnapped it really changed things drastically for the Guardians of Childhood. And when she and Nightlight get permanently taken made things even worse.

All the dreams for a new Golden Age were dashed. The wizard Ombric basically became a hermit in his own village and never made contact with his fellow Guardians. North's plans for another City of Dreams were scrapped until it formed into a workshop for imamate objects, not living people. Tooth became even more sheltered than before, never being in the field for almost five hundred years. Sandy did whatever a sandman is supposed to do (Jack never did ask what Sandy did knowing he wouldn't get a coherent answer from the little man). And Bunny…damn, he ended up changing too. He probably changed the most out of everyone, though the Kang-….pooka spoke differently.

Speaking of the pooka.

"The shelia started to change over time. She was still a warrior at heart but that's all she ever became after Katherine and Nightlight vanished. She spent most of her time far away from the former judgmental bunny-man and the rest of the group. Somehow over the course of time she started to turn into a calmer, soothing, caring, and graceful impression on the remaining group. She always made sure to keep the tension unruffled between everyone. The girl that the group lost would've wanted things to be that way. In a sense the shelia changed into a more…feminine version of herself, so to speak.

"Things became difficult for the bunny-man since he felt at fault for the shelia's change and that he wished there was something he could've done to solve the problem."

* * *

"She wasn't very happy when she learned that the non-man blamed himself for what had happened to her." Tooth sighed in frustration. "She only changed to honor her friend's memory it's not like her whole personality was being altered. I-SHE was still the same old fairy with a dental obsession." The fairy in question made her feathers ruffle up as she started to continue rambling on about how unfair the 'non-man' was being to her-no wait the non-woman. It was the non-woman Tooth meant, of course.

Bridget sighed quietly before she made a loud enough cough noise for Tooth to get out of her little burst. Tooth smiled sheepishly while rubbing her arm. She apologized before continuing her account.

"She wanted guidance from him, despite their disagreements. They soon tried to rebuild their bond and soon learned a lot from one another. Because of their familiar pasts, they were kindred spirits in a sense. The non-woman no longer felt alone with him there by her side. He made sure to remind her of the hope there was left in the world."

Tooth's smile slowly faded.

* * *

"All he wanted to do was see her choppers-she always looked happy while grinning." The pooka smiled wistfully before turning serious again. "But he knew that it always wouldn't be on her face with him around. The poor, sick, demented bunny-man knew he was far from perfect and the shelia…she deserved better. So," Bunny cleared his throat. "He kept his distance from her as best as he could. In doing so their relationship stayed professional and remained that as best as I…he could….I made sure that I was doing what was best for her. It was better for her and everyone else if she went with someone who could make her happy. I wasn't going to be the bloke in the past and definitely not now."

His entire speech left the normally jabbing Jack speechless. A part of his jaw dropped slightly while he took the whole story in. The proud, annoying, grumpy, and still proud Bunny was not in front of him. The pooka looked almost as awful as when children stopped believing in him. It didn't help much this time around since he was still stuck in his tiny bunny form again. He was a broken bunny.

* * *

Bridget took a deep breath while trying to swallow Tooth's monologue. She was left nearly speechless from hearing Tooth cry out at how she felt shattered from Bunny not being there as often as she would've wished. Even all the times when he adverted his gaze from her during the start of the journey had been bugging to wit's end. Bridget could've defended that he was only looking out for Tooth's best interests (probably) and that he didn't mean to hurt her feelings. But some part of her mind couldn't grasp it well. It must've been her inner feminism acting up again, it made her always want to side with the women's perspective. So FRUSTRATING!

Eventually Bridget concluded the best thing she could do in the situation was to comfort her friend. She stood up from her spot and plopped herself sitting fairly close to where Tooth was. Without a second thought Bridget quickly wrapped her arms around the taller and older woman. Pink amethyst eyes widen in slight surprise from the unexpected embrace.

"I'm not happy of what Bunny did to you, but I am sorta getting the idea of what he was doing." When she looked over at Tooth she saw how frazzled the fairy looked. "Oh, now don't you be giving me that look. I figured it was yours and Bunny's story from the start…well not the **very **start but I still put the pieces together. It wasn't all that hard really."

Tooth blushed and looked away while the Mini-fairies held embarrassed looks of their own. "I guess I was a little too obvious."

Bridget half-shrugged once she removed her arms off of Tooth. "I paid close attention to the story to put it together. Anyway I am sorry for you. Having the guy you slowly began to grow fond of rebuffing your feelings doesn't sound all that great."

"You must've felt that when you've been thinking Jack likes that other girl huh?"

"Thank you for summing all that up for me," Bridget thanked with heavy sarcasm. "But really I didn't get to tell you the good news."

"What news?" Tooth soon became all ears, the previous conversation evaporating from her mind.

"As it turns out…" Bridget smiled weakly before saying, "Jack's supposed girlfriend was actually his sister."

The sound of birdie giggles covered the air in the forest. Bridget sat patiently for a couple of minutes while the fairies kept on laughing. She pretty much expected this to happen from that from the start. She knew telling Tooth the truth would lead to her finding the whole misunderstanding very silly and would head to her getting all 'I-told-you-so' on Bridget's behind.

"Well," Tooth smiled a ghost of a smug grin. "I guess I was right about it being ridiculous for you to worry over a girl that may-or-may not have anything to do with Jack's love life. And as it turns out, the girl you were being paranoid over wasn't Jack's love after all. He didn't have one I bet."

"You're horrible right now, you know that?" Bridget sighed. "And for the record, I wasn't being paranoid, just a little cautious is all."

"Of course you were." Tooth didn't sound like she was convinced. "Still, I find it incredible that Jack didn't have a girl before you."

"Is that really that hard to believe that Jack probably spent most of his time having fun instead of teenage stuff like that?" The redhead titled her head.

"No, now that you mention it. Not really." Tooth bit her lower lip. "But I'm still a little curios if he might've liked someone before you."

"I trust him when he said there weren't many girls that showed interest in him. I'm sure there might have been a few that did like him but he probably didn't notice. Most guys are oblivious like that."

"Do you think he was…oblivious too?"

"_So we're talking about Bunny again?" _Bridget inwardly sighed. It wasn't that talking about Tooth's problem wasn't fun but the whole situation made Tooth get all emo and Bridget didn't want her friend to get emo. That was supposed to be her job and yet Jack and everyone else were starting to have their moments. Bridget gave a small shake of her head to herself. She needed to focus. "I think Bunny was or is aware of your feelings Tooth. But I also think he felt the same way too." She added optimistically, hoping that it would cheer Tooth up.

Toothiana sighed, "I wish that were true. But I don't think he would. I'm not exactly his type."

"'Not exactly'?" Bridget pointed an incredulous finger before glancing at Baby Tooth. "Can you believe this lady?"

Baby Tooth gave shrug and small little tweet in response. _"I want to stay out of this if you don't mind, Wisdom Tooth." _

"It's obvious why I'm not the sort of girl he would want." Tooth explained while pointing at her feathers. "I'm covered with all this plumage and I have an obsession with teeth-" "Tooth," Bridget placed her hands on the Tooth Fairy's shoulders. "Bunny is covered with fur. **He** fusses over his eggs like no one's business. You two have a lot in common, but it's your differences that bring you both together."

* * *

"Bridget and I aren't exactly the same because if we were exactly the same things would get boring very quickly. But the things that do share in common with us did bring us together. That and she thinks I'm hot."

"Isn't this supposed to be about Tooth and me?" Bunny called out to get Jack out of his conceited thinking. The winter spirit smiled sheepishly before he continued. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm really grateful for having someone like Bridget around. I didn't realize how much of her I was missing before I even met her. I practically wanna throw my around her and tell her everything I know. Now you tell me straight that you don't want to do that with Tooth either."

Bunny looked to the ground, trying to hide his growing blush. "It might've crossed my mind a yolk or two. But you won't say that to anyone you hear me."

Jack tried really hard not to laugh at the look Bunny threw at him. Even as a tiny bunny the pooka was hard to take seriously. "I won't say anything. I'm expecting you to say that to Tooth."

Bunny sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Didn't my story get into your mind at all? I'm keeping my distance for her sake. She's better off with a bloke who can-"

"Care for her and understand how she feels?" Jack placed his hand akimbo. "Newsflash Bunny, but you fill that description pretty good. And the whole thing about you both being the last of your own races make a good similarity between you two and it brings you together. Tooth may have had the Mini-fairies with her after losing her parents but it was pretty much having extensions of her own self around and not actual company. You know what that's like right Bunny? Even with all those eggs of yours it still got a little lonely. Sure you can say all you want about being fine with it but if you didn't miss your people as much as Tooth missed her family would be a lie."

Bunny looked so angry for that one second that Jack was a little worried. Slowly his hurtful expression left just as it appeared. Bunny breathed in and out for a minute and sighed. "This is hard for me to admit but… you're right, Mate. I-I care for Tooth….I love her."

* * *

"All I want is for Bunny to feel the same way I feel about him." Tooth curled her feet under her legs and whimpered slightly. "I tried to be friendly and kind to him to show I wanted to something more but I don't think he really noticed."

"That's not true and you know it," Bridget shook her head. "Bunny cares for a lot of people. He even cares about Jack if he doesn't want to admit it, but out of all the people he cared about Bunny always tried to make you smile and be happy. I don't need these glasses to be able to see that." Bridger removed her spectacles, her eyes returning to the usual darkness she was use to seeing only a week ago. She placed a hand over her chest and said, "They say that love is blind, isn't it? So it would make sense when a blind person tells you that what she can sense between two people is true and sincere is right. Of course there's the slight chance that could be wrong bu when your friend is someone who has spent most of her life on the sidelines hearing people who have had happy endings and read about them would know exactly what is true. Take it all in stride, Tooth. Bunny can be on your side if you give him the chance and talk to him. Give it a try or you'll just spend the rest of your life or immortality thinking of it as your biggest What If?"

Bridget heard the sound of fluttering and constant chirping for a few moments. Tooth and her little ones were conversing over the prospect. The redhead remained still and silent wanting them to figure the whole problem out and think over what she had just said. Bridget could only hope now that Tooth would take the chance face and the world with her feelings. She wasn't going to be a voice or hand to guide for Bunny anymore. She was meant to be something more and they won't go their separate paths. It will go the same for (hopefully) Bridget and Jack too. The only thing that would be hard for them is that someday Bridget would end up leaving the world of the living.

Bridget knew it was inevitable, someday she would no longer live and grow old and die. She and Jack would have a love shared but would end with her going to die and Jack remaining around. He might get over it someday (after several years of mourning no doubt) and learn to remember the good memories that were shared at least. Yes, Bridget admitted to herself that sounded very dark and pretty gloomy but she wasn't trying to focus on the dark side of that but the good side. She wanted to think of all the good things that were to come and enjoy it all to the fullest. Bunny and Tooth had the advantage of living forever so they wouldn't have any sorrow in their existences. And Bridget wanted them to start after all the unnecessary heartache that was already spilt. When she put her glasses on Bridget was surprised to see herself alone in the wood. The only thing that proved that Tooth and her fairies were with her at all was a little note directly where they sat that was written with the words,

Gone to make things right

"Indeed you did, Tooth." Bridget smiled wistfully until a frown settled on her features. "How am I supposed to find my way out of here?!"

* * *

"All right," Bunny took a deep breath to get himself prepared. "I can do. I can do this….I can't do this." He and Jack groaned but for different reasons.

"You can do this, Cottontail. You just need to, as North would, Bunny-man up!" While ignoring the pooka's soft glare Jack continued, "You've been in love with Tooth for almost three hundred years, I think that's more than enough time of reflecting over whether it is real or just an infatuation. But knowing you I would go with the first."

Bunny's ears drooped while he stared into the dark emptiness edge the inner forest of where the two stood by. "I can't do it, Mate. It's complicated, something grown ups only understand."

"Bunny, I'm old enough to predate the United States' Declaration of Independence and I like Bridget. I think I know where you and Tooth are." Jack said a beat later.

"I guess I see your point." Bunny sighed. "I jus' don't know what are the right words to say."

Jack gave the pooka a sympathetic look before his eyes and ears trailed to the sound of a distant figure narrowly avoiding tree branches and twig crunching. The sympathy soon turned into a gleeful grin. "Looks like you won't have enough time to think about 'em, Bunny. 'Cause here comes the Queen."

"Jack and Bunny," Tooth spoke rather breathlessly with her walking cane and Mini-fairies in tow. "I wasn't expecting to see you both here."

"Uh…" Jack scratched the back of his head. "We were just talking about-Bunnythinksyouarehot bye!" Without a second passing Jack grabbed his staff and vaulted into the air and then landed into some trees in the forest.

"…." Tooth blinked twice in confusion.

"_I'm gonna wring that bugger one of these days." _Bunny's left eye twitched.

"What was that all about?" Tooth glanced at Bunny in bewilderment.

Bunny gulped nervously. "Dunno. Teenagers are pretty odd."

"You don't have to tell me that." Tooth sighed. "I'm not sure how my parents were able to look after me. I was such an energetic child back in the day."

"Probably not as bad as me though." Bunny snorted. "Try being a mum and dad who had to raise forty-six pooka kittens. Now that was hell there."

"Oh, it can't be all that bad." Tooth smiled knowingly. "When you have several hundred fairies to look over it can be solved with just finding the right activity for them to occupy their time." She gave her Mini-fairies a knowing wink.

"And the little ones you have on you now?"

That question did leave Tooth pondering. With no teeth to collect the Mini-fairies certainly did have more time on their hands. They also started to become a bit more mischievous on the occasion. Sharp Tooth the most with her beak being in the other fairies business. It was hard to keep them from getting into slight quarrels now that she was reflecting over it a bit more.

"I suppose it's a little hard looking after these little ones. Baby Tooth can handle herself pretty well; she's a born leader. Sweet Tooth always follows my commands to the book and she is very gentle." Tooth giggled. "It's probably why Bridget gave her that nickname. Sharp Tooth though has been giving me a few problems I'll admit, but she is indeed to the point on a lot of things that much credit I can give her." She gave the little fairy a pointed look after seeing her stick her tongue out.

"Incisor and Molar on the other hand seem to have started taking an interest in reading. I swear Bridget has become quite the influence on most of them." Tooth graced Bunny with another one of her tinkling of a bell-like laughter once more.

As his face began to feel hot again a small thought started to process through Bunny's mind. "Well y'know, you don't have to look after all of them by yourself. No matter what form they're in an ankle-biter is still an ankle-biter. If you need some help with babysitting you could ask a friend to lend ya a hand…or paw."

"Bunny?" Tooth quirked an eyebrow. "Are you offering to help me with looking after my fairies with me?"

Edmund did his best to keep his breathing even but still stuttered slightly in his delivery. "Ah-w-well when you p-put it that way, it would seem like the answer would be y-yes. Yes I would be glad to give my ser-vic-es to you." He fought the urge to bend on one knee while making that pledge but chose to smile awkwardly instead. Tooth did nothing but stare wide eyed at the pooka, it was a little nerve rattling to say the least. He was about ready to faint from exhaustion until Tooth jumped up with a cheery chirp.

"Oh, Bunny that's so kind of you to offer something like that for me." Tooth branded an award-winning smile to him.

Bunny scrapped his foot around the dirt a bit. "Well you-everyone deserves to get help from someone else every once and a while." His tone soon grew serious. "I'm also you friend, Tooth. If there is anything you are in need of I'll be there whatever it takes."

Tooth could almost feel her eyes water from the sudden confession. The Mini-fairies wiped their own eyes clean of tears. "That has to be one of the sweetest things anyone has ever promised me." Her smile was so wide and bright that it could probably cure any disease out there.

"Not that hard when you can persuade any bloke with those pearly whites of yours," Bunny said without a second thought. _"Oh, struth! I did it now!"_

Tooth could feel a blush growing on her cheeks. "You have a nice smile too, Bunny. You just don't let it out as much."

Bunny no longer felt embarrassment swelled inside him with the feeling soon replaced with a slight resentment instead. Memories of Jack being praised for his teeth swarmed into the pooka's mind. "Probably because my choppers aren't as 'white as freshly fallen snow,' am I right?"

A sudden feeling of melancholy rushed inside the fairy. Tooth started to get a feeling there was something more to the rivalry between Bunny and Jack. Did Bunny assume that she might've liked…Tooth mentally shook her head. She didn't have time to mull over thoughts like that at the moment.

"No," Tooth began softly. She sat on her knees to be at a closer range of Bunny. "But they don't have to be when they're already whiter than an unpainted egg."

For the first time in a long time Bunny found a very good reason to grin widely. Tooth mirrored the grin while giving out a little laugh. Something with felt in their hearts at that moment, something that grew from the very beginning even if the connection wasn't seen yet it was still there.

* * *

Jack silently made a fist pump at the scene that was being played in front of him. He couldn't believe how easy it was to just leave the two alone. _"Bridget would love to see-wait…"_

* * *

Bunny was starting to lean his head near Tooth's when the most obnoxious noise became vocal.

"HEY GUYS!"

As if they were two north magnets Tooth and Bunny jumped away from each other immediately. _"Damn it Jack!" _Bunny's mind exploded with a million curses that only a true Australian could understand.

"Where's Bridget?" Jack called out after climbing down from his hiding spot.

Tooth's eyes widened in shock while placing her hands on her head. "Oh~! I left her all alone in the forest!"

"Okay," Jack was trying very hard not to sound like he was panicking. "I'll go look for her and you two can just stay here and do stuff. I'm sure she's fine I can go my own. You two just…do your thing." He added hastily as if attempting to renew the mood that he obviously ruined earlier. Jack gave the 'couple' one last sheepish look before making his exit into the woods.

Bunny shook his head. "_That bloody show pony got lucky this time. This time." _

* * *

With the skills from all his parkour training Jack avoided rocks, twigs, and sharp rocks Jack avoid these near disasters with prestige. The inside of the forest grew darker due to the thick trees covering most of the sky.

"_Better find Bridget ASAP. She wouldn't like being out here in the….dark?" _Jack's thoughts went away when he spotted a small flash of light some yards from where he stood. A knowing smirk soon played on his features. Jack slowed his walking in order to keep most of his steps silent while he made a longer circle around the ball of light and soon got a closer look of what it was.

"No," Bridget sighed in annoyance. The fire in her hands disappeared moments later. "It should look a little bigger on the top and the face wasn't-" "I think I found my fire-bug."

"Eep!" Bridget gasped in alarm when she felt a breath of cold air on her ear. A small flame burst out of her hand for a second until it went away just as quickly as the other. She turned around fast to see Jack snickering behind her. The redhead frowned in annoyance.

"I'm happy to see you too, Jack." Sarcasm was heavy in her voice.

"Is that the kind of tone you'll keep using on me?" Jack played along with her game.

"No, I just wish you didn't snuck up on me like that. I was trying to work on a surprise."

"What surprise?" Jack perked with interest. Bridget pated the log she was sitting on, asking for him to join her. Jack happily accepted and plopped down unceremoniously.

"Do you promise not to speak when I try this trick?" Bridget asked hopefully. She had no idea if talking would change anything or not but she didn't want to take any chances.

"I promise." Jack raised his hand as if taking an oath. Bridget giggled slightly before recovering.

Remembering her breathing exercises Bridget took in a deep mouthful of air and began to focus. Fire slowly started to spark up on her open palm that soon became medium sized. Jack couldn't stop the look of amazement when he saw the fire was trying to take shape of some sort. The image appeared to be a crude human figure with a pole in its hands. Bridget scrunched her face, which in turn cause the figure to make a few awkward attempts to move its legs forward.

Bridget focused harder on the image in her head while doing her best to keep her palm open in order for the flame to remain burning. The figure's walking steadily turned into a slight fast walk and then into a more realistic jog and then a sprint. Each step the figure took turned into a fast running motion. The body of the person started to lean its back forward a little as the figure turned into a human bullet. Flashes of yellow could be seen, as the fire grew weaker. In a matter of second the fire completely went out. Bridget opened her eyes and sighed in frustration. "It happened again."

"I'm going to take a wild guess but you're talking about the fire, right?"

Bridget nodded. "I was trying to make it last longer until I got the figure to start flying." Her face became a rosy hue. "The person, whom I was hopefully making, was supposed to be you."

"Me?" Jack was genuinely surprised. He almost thought the image of the stick figure was meant to be Nightlight.

"It wasn't that great looking huh?" Bridget sighed again, this time in a more unhappy way. "I really need a lot more practice but while Tooth was gone I was trying to make my fire come out in different shapes. When I tried one that looked like a star I started to think up of all the cool images Sandy made with his dreamsand and for a second I swore I saw a dove in the flames. I tried to do it again but couldn't."

"That does sound really cool." Jack placed his arms over his head.

"I even tried making you guys from the fire with my eyes open at first but could barely make even a spark. I think with my eyes closed it makes it easier for me to control my fire better. But hearing your response proves that there wasn't much improvement huh?"

"You can get better at it." Jack said encouragingly. "It took me a while before I could make images from my snow intentionally. The first time I finally got it right even helped Jamie believe in me." His smiled returned from recalling the wonderful memory. He remembered how he practically laughed in relief when he made the snow bunny literally hop off of the window.

"Sure but you **still **have 300 years to practice."

"And you'll figure out your powers too." Jack ensured Bridget. "Just don't quit and practice, practice, practice. It really works wonders, trust me."

"I do trust you Jack, I just wish my powers or me could work." Bridget sighed while looking at her hands. A pair of pale white hands placed themselves over hers.

Jack smiled. "Your powers will work for you, you just need to have a little ore faith is all."

Bridget smiled her hope was reassured. Her hands shivered slightly causing Jack to apologize. "Sorry, I really can only keep you cold." He inwardly cursed. Some boyfriend he could make for her. One of the basics of dating was handholding and he was failing at it. Bridget opened her mouth momentarily before she tightened the hold of their hands together. Before Jack could speak Bridget beat him to it.

"Do you really think I'm that bothered with your oddly lowered body temperature? I only joked about it like maybe once. Did I say a cold joke to you?" Her eyes squinted in interest.

Jack lowered his head and frowned sadly. "You called me 'Mr. Hypothermia' a little after we met."

Bridget dropped her jaw in shock. "Oh, Jack I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"It was the truth." Jack shrugged, wishing for the subject to be changed. Bridget knew better than to simply drop the subject. The last thing she wanted was for him to think something like different body temperatures would divide them. The were facing much worse things in the world and attempted more serious activities. She was going to always be by Jack's side.

"But that didn't mean I should've been so-so rude. Though in my defense I didn't really know who you were for the time being. For all I knew you were a weird kid or homeless person."

Jack arched an eyebrow in amusement. "You're second choice after a weird kid is homeless person?"

Bridget bit her lower lip. "You never know who you might meet when you're blind you know. When I was blind though I got to learn who you were and saw that there was more to you than just cold skin." Her cheeks began to glow red. "Plus I've gotten use to the cold, it doesn't bother me that much."

The cold hands removed themselves from the warm ones. Before Bridget could protest cold arms wrapped around her waist. She had no time to utter an eep when sighed, "Your taste in guys is something I'm never going to figure out."

Bridget smiled. "W-well you better get use to it." _"Damn my stuttering." _"Cuz, I'm sticking with you for a long time."

Gray eyes met with blue in a very heartfelt manner. A pale nose brushed itself against a less paled nose as a warm heart fluttered into various skipped beats. Hitched breathing came from the mortal human as she tried to take in the situation without turning into a pile of goo. The winter spirit on the other hand seemed to have been enjoying himself and not trying to hide his smirk at all. He even started to torture the girl by rubbing her back in small circles, leading her face to go a dark shade of red.

"I should probably step back now right?" Jack spoke a moment later.

Bridget nodded. "I'm going to became a human furnace in four…three…two…" Jack recoiled in the nick of time as fire shot out from the girl's hands and parts of her hair was ignited too. She soon looked as though gasoline had been randomly sprayed on her head and she had tried to wipe it off with her fingers and then a Jackass threw a lighted match seconds later. The fire slowly went away just as it appeared and like before left no sunburned marks on her hands or damaged any of the red hair.

"I'm going to do a lot more than that if you keep doing that stuff to me you know." Bridget warned playfully.

"Even if it means you like it," Jack spoke back in a singsong voice. Bridget gave him a soft glare.

"Still I really did wish I had a better self-control. But I guess I need to work on that." She smiled cheerfully before flicking her bangs.

"Did you change your hair or something?" Jack titled his head.

Bridget nodded. "Tooth re-braided my hair for me. It was a little awkward at first with her touching my hair but I knew it needed to be clean and de-knotted and all so I got over it. And now my hair is in this style." She flicked her braid to her right shoulder for emphasis.

"Is that the reason your hair looks darker than normal?" Jack felt his face warm up. "Not that I look at your hair that often-or any parts of you that much just-um."

Bridget giggled, finding Jack's flustered disposition adorable. "Naw it's okay. My hair got dark looking because of it still being wet. I sort took a bath a little while after Tooth left." Bridget giggled again but this time from feeling sheepish.

Jack smiled and did everything in his power to **not **mentally image Bridget bathing. He scratched his head. "That makes sense. I never had that happen to me with my being white and all. Though it does look a little gray-ish in some angles," Jack started to trail off until Bridget laughed again. "Am I amusing you?"

"No, and don't use a fake British accent. We already got two people in the group I barely understand."

"Nightlight and Sandy?"

Bridget swallowed back a chuckle. "You know who I mean. It wasn't your hair that 'amused' me just the thought that is probably the closest we've had to a normal conversation up to this point."

"Huh, I guess you're right. Though I do hope it won't be common. I'd hate it if things got normal."

"Being normal is overrated," Bridget recited. The two of them ended up laughing together.

* * *

Time passed over the forest as Jack decided it was starting to get late and that the others might've started to get worried ("Can't have another B.B.O.B incident again." "A what?" "Nothin'"). Eventually they got themselves out of the forest foliage and were back in the campsite. North and Sandy had apparently gathered several edible foods and prepared a mini-banquet to go along with the soup (cream broccoli).

The whole meal was prepared with minced wild mushrooms and chopped cattails roots became cooked along with a plant Bridget hadn't heard of before called a rosehip. Tooth said they were rich with vitamin C. Cranberries were found by Nightlight who was even successful at catching a few fish in the stream. All of the foods were cooking from some leftover moonstones North had with him. The smoke from the fish made Bridget's mouth water.

"I am so hungry right now," Bridget sighed. "How much longer until it's ready?"

"Vait for the proper time Leetle Girl," North commanded. "But this nice, yes? How many times has it been since ve all sit around fire?"

"A few so far." Bunny answered between each nibble of his carrot.

"Reminds me of the nights with my parents." Tooth spoke softly. "My _bapu _had always told me the most wonderful stories while _mātā _would make the meals."

"I cannot help but think of the times vith Cossacks," North admitted. "They may have been brutes but they also told grand tales to me as a boy."

"Are we just going to talk about people telling stories or actually tell one?" Jack suggested while poking a twig near the fiery rocks. The tip smoldered as smoke rolled in tiny wisps. North chuckled and began to tell a story.

North's tale told of how he confronted his old partner the _Krampus_ for wrongfully kidnapping a nice child instead of a naughty one. The story took place a few years after North started out as the fabled Santa Claus. He started to notice how there were children who didn't act very nice as other children did. The former Cossack did not wish to punish the naughty children himself so he consulted help from a beast-like being that called himself Krampus. He was entitled to travel with North to the homes of bad children and warn them that if they misbehaved they wouldn't get gifts from St. Nick. This ended up being routine for both men for a century or two before things started to get bad, and it wasn't the children who were being bad.

It turned out that for a few years in a row children had stopped misbehaving around Christmas and left Krampus with little work to do. The beast had grown frustrated and jealous of North's growing popularity that it left him with no other choice but to try and force the children into being naughty. It didn't work at first with most of them not believing in him anymore so he decided to just catch them in traps and then put them in a sack to take them away to his lair. This act made North furious. He and Krampus had always agreed that misbehaving children would get fruit instead of toys as a reminder to be good next year around in order to gain a better present. This new type of behavior did not settle well for North at all. He ended up climbing to the cold cave of where Krampus was and fought in an all out brawl. North kindly let out the gory details but seen ended his story by exclaiming how he succeeded in defeating the Krampus and liberating the innocent children. Applauds erupted right after North finished and he bowed to his audience in respect.

Tooth soon came around to tell about how she saved an entire island in the South Seas after getting her first helping of the soup and vegetables. The story took place a few years (give or take) before she stopped being out in the field. She learned that a child had lost his first lateral incisor without a single cavity and knew that traveling to retrieve it would just as much as a prize as collecting it. Tooth rarely went to a tropical island and looked forward to seeing the lovely landscape while flying. Not to mention the moonlight would make everything so dazzling like a bright new cuspid (Bunny snapped Tooth out her thoughts and reminded her of the **other **story she was trying to tell. Tooth blushed violently before apologizing).

Tooth flew over the Pacific Ocean with precision knowing her mission was of the utmost importance. Her trip was cut short however when she found that the island she was meant to go collect the tooth was entombed in a great typhoon-like storm. The whole hurricane seemed rather fishy for Tooth because she noticed that the rain and harsh winds were only affecting that one island and none of the others despite its large mass. Things grew even more suspicious when she saw a large dark shape in the water. When she flew down Tooth quickly realized what she was truly in the midst of. She took a deep breath and made the loudest animal call Tooth had down in centuries. Barely a minute passed before Tooth came face to face with a hundred-and-fifty-foot long sea serpent.

Bridget nearly fainted when she heard that. Bunny looked like he was going to pass out from shock.

Tooth kept her composure while the large, scaly, creature looked down at her. She asked politely toward the sea serpent why he was causing such a stir (she would later apologize for the unintentional pun). The serpent wailed in a despondent tenor of how he had swam near the island earlier and something that belonged to a fisherman got stuck in his mouth. Tooth gave the poor thing a sympathetic look before suggesting that he should open his mouth.

Bridget finally fell unconscious by this point in the story telling. Jack his best to wake her up again before Tooth continued.

Going inside the mouth of a monster that had almost laid waste to an island wasn't the brightest idea in Tooth's opinion but if the monster was only doing it out of pain she had no other choice. Right near the end of the left row Tooth found the problem to the serpent's toothache; a fishermen's net harshly wrapped around a fang. Tooth inspected the rope for any signs of wear and tear, hoping to start there to get of it. She succeeded in finding a weak point and worked at the line until it started to rip and break apart. Tooth unraveled the net until it was completely off of the fang and flew out of the sea serpent's mouth. The storm suddenly faded away until the starry night Tooth saw after leaving her palace was covering the whole sky. The sea serpent thanked the fairy for what she did. Tooth told him that the net may have caught in his mouth by accident and that no human knew of him being there. The sea serpent needed a bit more persuasion until he finally gave in and consented with leaving the island alone. It was safe to say that the rest of the evening went without a hitch and Tooth decided to give the little island boy a two teeth's worth of coins.

Bridget had awoken long enough to hear the ending and she gave out a deep sigh of relief.

The Easter Bunny decided to tell Bridget of something with less suspense. He told them all of how he came up with his 'eggomotive' train. He claimed that the train he made was the very first since the one humans would create were yet to be invented for some decades later. Jack was ready to call false, saying that the train couldn't be real if he never saw it. Bunny rolled his eyes and said, "The reason you never say it before ya gumby is because it was always underground thanks to my tunnels."

"_Of course!" _Bridget said in her mind. _"Only Bunny could make a tunnel large enough for a locomotive to climb through. He must be immortal to have enough time on his…paws to make something that big. This is Bunny we're talking about." _

Bunny resumed talking about his train and of how had used it in the past. Sadly he no longer used the train again after Katherine and Nightlight's disappearance. He regretted to inform how he was in a state of depression of when he dismantled the train, believing that keeping everything from his emotionless past was not the right thing to do. The pooka winced when he saw Bridget look sadden from the story. He didn't attempt for the story to take that turn but Bunny had forgotten whom he was telling the story to. Bunny had let his mind wandered in the wrong direction while giving a story.

Jack quickly started to tell an amusing story of how he had accidently climbed on the back of a walrus and went sledding with it. The two of them ended up crashing into a snowbank thirty seconds later. Bridget's mood slowly returned to normal after hearing that.

Nightlight soon wrote down a story of his own with the use of the journal. He spoke of all the times he spent playing tag with the moonbeams. They would fly all over the world in their little game, sometimes they each came up with the most imaginative ways to sneak up from the other. The best trick Nightlight did was to hide inside a large cloud where none of the moonbeams could look inside and surprised them by coming out of the other end. Jack would sometimes interject at times to mention of the hiding spots he came up with to avoid an angry nature spirit of Holiday Legendary. Their rivalry over the best hiding spot continued until Sandy signaled them to settle down so that he could tell his story next.

Sandy 'spoke' of how his island came to be and spoke of the seashells, turtles, and mermaids that he befriended. Bridget became very invested into the written tale and asked many questions over each being and of how Sandy made his dreamships fly. She really liked looking at the image of one dreamship that had legs that were in the shape of whale flippers. The island was her favorite though since the image Sandy magically drew made it move around and never being the same shape more than once. The Guardian of Dreams silently promised to himself that he should probably show Bridget his island one day and Jack too since he hadn't seen it yet either.

"Do you have any stories to tell us, Bridget?" North asked with a quirked brow.

Bridget frowned slightly. "I don't think any of them are as fantastic as fighting a monster or playing hide-and-go-seek with glowing orbs of light."

"It doesn't matter," Tooth reasoned. "You can tell us anything. It doesn't have to be a magical story."

Jack bit his inner cheek when he noticed the small spark of panic that was in Bridget's eyes momentarily. He knew that she knew of something magical in her life, and she learned about it before meeting the Guardians.

"I think I might have one story," Bridget said finally. "It started on the day Thanksgiving break ended this year."

"_This should be interesting." _Jack thought knowingly.

* * *

Bunny almost chocked on his carrot. "You said **what** to that kid?"

"Just when I said 'He frosted them,' Jack came in and used his staff to freeze those bullies butts." Bridget snickered.

"As much as I dislike using powers to scare children, Bridget, Jack," North gave them dark looks. "I vill admit that dealing vith those bullies vas funny."

"Your storytelling must've been very convincing." Tooth praised the redhead.

Bridget blushed in embarrassment. "It was a team effort, mostly. And I'll admit I'm no Mother Goose but I did my best even if I made up as I went a long."

"Still it could've been worse." Jack said reassuringly.

Bridget smiled in return. She started to think how funny it was, the number of smiles she was giving out. When was the last time she ever smiled so much? Better yet when was the last time she went out on a camp out? They were a lot more fun than written in a book that's for sure. There might not any marshmallows roasting or campfire songs but Bridget didn't care for normal stuff that much anymore. She was having too much fun to think about that. The more time she was spending with the Guardians the more she felt that there wasn't anything separating them from each other anymore.

"I say ve rest up tonight and then start traveling tomorrow." North declared.

Bunny yawn. "Good idea, I'd rather bail out sooner than later anyway."

"Ready to turn in guys?" Jack asked Nightlight and Sandy. The Sandman was already snoozing away with half of his body sprawled out on the log. Nightlight wrote on the journal asking,

Turn into what? A bug?

Jack frowned in shame while Bridget giggled and then explained the words to Nightlight. The rest of the group bid their goodnights while settling in for the evening. Bridget almost scrambled to where her sleeping bag was and dragged the thing out and laid it down on the grass.

"You think that's a good place to put?" Jack quirked an eyebrow, it wasn't meant to be impolite but more out of his usual amusement. "Won't bugs crawl in or…"

"Doesn't matter," Bridget found her used pillow and fluffed it up to the best of her abilities. "I always wanted to sleep under the stars. Besides the ground can't any colder than the wooden frames on the cart."

"True that." Jack winced. "They were never that comfortable to sleep in anyways." When he noticed Bridget looking at him weirdly he blushed. "From my early days at being Jack Frost I use to…'hitchhike' covered wagon trains back in the 1800s. It anywhere close to flying but if I needed some rest and the wagon was going my way it seemed like the best place to rest."

Bridget rolled her eyes and snickered. "Talk about being lazy."

"Hey, I'm not lazy. I'm just a guy that likes no rules or responsibility. It's good as it sounds."

Bridget didn't look convinced especially when she made a coughing noise remarkably familiar to the word lazy. It was Jack's turn to roll his eyes before saying goodnight and going off somewhere to sleep. Bridget unzipped the bag and pushed herself inside. She inched and fidgeted all over until she felt situated enough to lie down. With Sandy already sleeping Bridget knew she would have to fall unconscious the old fashion way and wait for the drowsiness to take her in.

"_Well this is boring." _Bridget frowned only a few seconds later. She quietly sighed while shifting to her side. A small smile played in her features when saw that she the others sleeping. North was snoring obnoxiously loud as always, Sandy was still where he was before and Nightlight wasn't sleeping but high up on a tree for lookout. Jack was sleeping with his back resting on one of the cart's wheels. Tooth and Bunny were rather close to one another. Bridget swore she saw them both with a ghostly smile etched on their faces. She also caught site of Tooth's hand mere inches from where on of Bunny's paws rested. The small smile on Bridget grew into a stupid grin while she tried to contain her inner joy.

"_East, easy, we don't want to jump to conclusions…yet." _Even her conscience was struggling to keep her excitement down. Still Bridget knew better than to run over to where the fairy and pooka rested and tackle them into spilling their secrets. None of them did the same to her so Bridget would leave it at that, or at least until they were ready.

"_Maybe I should borrow that camera from Jack someday." _

* * *

Time was not Bridget's friend again as she felt that she didn't get enough sleep again. Sleeping on the ground wasn't the reason why she felt tired just that she swore that she only had her eyes closed her five seconds before Tooth came over and excitedly told Bridget it was time to wake up and have breakfast and then brush their teeth. Bridget silently grumbled grumpily while eating a shortbread cookie.

"Once all food is eaten ve shall go on our vay." North insisted. Bridget took note that he was commanding a lot lately, but then again he was the de-facto leader of the group when the moon wasn't going to do it.

"Might as well collect some edible plants for future meals." Tooth sighed while using her cane to move around. It was a hassle to carry a satchel with one arm and leaning most of her weight on the cane but she didn't complain.

"Pack your bags everybody. Double check so you don't leave something by mistake." Bunny called while he hopped over to the cart.

Bridget re-checked her backpack for a third time before being satisfied enough to pack it up with the rest of the supplies. She turned to Jack and said, "You know I think I'm going to miss this place. It was nice if you don't mind the rain."

Jack gave her a half-smile before saying, "Might just come back here some other time then." He didn't miss the excited look on Bridget's face when she nodded eagerly. Jack also didn't miss the abrasive mien on Bunny. The pooka muttered something about 'too young' and 'skirt-chasing ding-bat.' Jack took a wild guess at which labels were meant for him and Bridget.

"Is everyone ready to be off?" North called out with slight caution and for good reason. Several precautions were made in order to conceal their remains at the clearing. Scorch marks from the moonstones and cauldron that stained the ground had to be removed, the Guardians also made sure that any tracks left from the cart needed to be covered up to avoid anyone from discovering their attendance. All of it was meant to prevent any of the crows to know they were there and to make sure Bridget was safe as well.

The Cossack turned to see everyone ready and prepared. With a snap from the reins Petrov cantered off and moved forward.

"_I'll have to see every place I've been to again," _Bridget thought pensively. She soon mentally cursed. _"Dammit, I could've spent my time looking for a darn four-leafed clover for Jamie. He would totally want that. And I could've just grabbed one from that torc stealing leprechaun too, double dammit!"_

* * *

**Q-A: **Yep, leaving it there 'cause my brain's retarded enough to not think of a better ending. XD I feel reading the misfortune of Bridget's expense to be entertaining…until something else happens. O-O Anyway I hope this was better than the last chapter though I do think this was a tad filler-ish too but we'll be seeing so action in the next chapter I promise.

Struth- An Aussie slang that is used like an exclamation. Bunny actually used it right before North used the snowglobe portal in to the Tooth Palace. :D You have to have keen ears like mine to pay attention to that sort of stuff. XD

Ding-bat- Fool

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	27. One Step Closer

**Q-A: **Here we go with an action packed chapter! It'll start out a little slow in the fist part but believe me when I say you'll be seeing the Guardians (and Bridget) fighting. But what will the short battle lead to? Well I can't tell you, spoilers much? XD You're just going to have to read like everyone else. But I will say I am happy for so many reviews that I have now! Get ready for it... *insert drum-roll*

130 reviews! :D I love you all!

Also... _**Important Author's Note at the bottom!**_

**Disclaimer: **Story is mine, O.C is mine, and Guardians belong to DreamWorks and the Greater God of Moonbots.

* * *

_~One Step Closer~_

As if anything else mattered to Bridget she was having another one of those good weeks. Whoever coined the phrase that it is the journey and not the destination was a genius in her opinion. Each day of traveling was full of so many enjoyable things that she couldn't count. Every early morning (like before the sun would even rise) began with Tai Chi practice with Bunny that would last until breakfast. Right after breakfast was spear sparing with Nightlight. Occasionally Jack would join in to play fight with the spectral spirit that usually ended with Nightlight being the winner. He had **a lot **more time to use his skills apparently.

Bridget did her best to focus in the spars despite the weirdness that came with it. The weirdness came from the spear than the actual fighting. For some reason Bridget didn't know what or why she chose the spear over North's saber but she felt more comfortable with handling the single ended spear more than a three-foot long sword (In Russia, sword **STILL** slices YOU!). There was also the odd vision that she had earlier that kept bothering her. She thought touching the ancient weapon again would trigger another one but no such luck fell upon her. Bridget didn't know why but something about that vision felt very important to her and the voice of the woman who tried to do her in was very familiar, she knew she had heard it somewhere. It was times like those that Bridget did miss her bracelet. She was happy that the group now had the Dagda's cauldron but she still missed her useless piece of metal. Without it she was even further away from knowing where her family is and finding out what her weird visions meant. The bracelet did nothing to help but it was a great comfort for her in the past.

"Keep you eyes focused on your opponent, ya Big Ankle-biter!" Bunny's voice caused Bridget to get out of her thoughts. Right she was still sparing, so much for staying focused. Nightlight was about to swipe under her feet when Bridget made the smart move to jump away in time. The spectral boy did not expect this as he soon fell from the weight of his armor with it being so close to the ground.

"Good," North praised. He stood a few feet away from the imaginary sparring ring while giving advice to the redhead like Bunny was doing. "Remember that spear like longsword; keep lose but not so much that spear can slip out of hands, yes?"

"_She should've started with a shorter spear," _Tooth gulped with worry. She was almost against the idea of Bridget fighting from the start, out of fear that the recently non-blind child could handle such dangerous tools. But she was unfortunately out voted and knew with reluctance that if Bridget was to be safe on her own she needed to defend herself and all those times where she almost got hurt was enough proof. Still, Tooth was somewhat of an expert when it came down to weapons, having practically taught herself how to use two swords on her own like North. It took some getting use to with having her wings do all the slicing and dicing after that but she decided having her hands free of weapons and to simply fly faster than her opponent showed to be more practical.

"Keep the control on your momentum, Bridget." Jack shouted. He visibly winced when he saw Bridget make a wrong move. "Don't lock your elbow when thrusting! You'll lose the ability to pull the shot."

"Then why don't you fight the glowing ninja here?" Bridget snapped. In her lapse of focus Nightlight found his gain with successfully catching the girl off guard and making her slip to the ground with the use of his crook. Bridget yelped in alarm before falling on her back. Nightlight beamed in triumph while standing over the disheveled redhead and aiming his cloth-covered dagger near her chest.

"Point goes to Nightlight." Bunny announced, much to Bridget's chagrin. The spectral boy offered his hand for her and she humbly accepted.

"Good job to both of you," North walked to them and gave a congratulatory hug to Nightlight. The hug squashed his face and made his eyes bulge. Bridget held back a giggle. _"At least one good thing came out of my loss. I didn't get hugged by North."_

North did place a hand on her shoulder though. "Bridget, as good your form vas on field I must say you are lacking focus. This has been second time this veek you have done this. Is there a matter needing looking over?"

Bridget lied. "No, I'm just…I guess I'm a little tired is all."

"We should be heading out away." Tooth said. "We have a week until the solstice and we still don't have the Stone of Fáil." She did her best not to sound panicky but it still left the others with concerns as well. Traveling from _Tibradden Mountain_ took much longer than they anticipated. It took some getting use to driving off road for the cart with it usually being use for decorative purposes only, so at least one wheel got damaged. It nearly took a day to cut down the right wood for the replacing of the wheel. It took another day to apologize to the tree spirit that they disturbed when they cut down her tree. Three days had passed until the Guardians and Bridget were no longer pelted with pinecones and tree sap. On the plus side Bridget did find occasional apple trees that didn't have any angry spirits which allowed her to collect as many fruit as she could ("Seriously, where do these things keep coming from?" Jack had asked toward Bridget while she was busy eating at them greedily along with Nightlight and Sandy).

Boredom through day after day of traveling set in with the group with them having to remain hidden from regular people. Driving on regular road was also out of the question with the threat of cars and who-knows-what hitting them by mistake. That and if they were spotted people would be curious as to why a redheaded girl was traveling alone in a wooden cart. In the end the Guardians and human companion had to settle with trekking though wide ranges of open land and the rare forest popping in every once and a while.

Rain also became an issue after the second week with the only sheet to cover them. With the heavy downpour the sheet's impenetrability lasted for ten seconds flat.

The rain made the group so miserable that they all unanimously agreed to spend the night at the nearest town in secret. The town they picked had one of those long names Bridget wasn't able to pronounce even if her life depended on it, but it did have an abandoned barn shed for the group to rest in for the night.

The barn shed had certainly seen better days but it had a partially covered roof so no one wanted to complain. Hay was even abundant in the shed with enough for Petrov to eat happily and to make lovely bedding for everyone to sleep. Bridget enjoyed the imitation mattress she made from her share felt the need to sleep rather easy. She didn't even need to ask Sandy to sprinkle her with dreamsand that night. Or at least until Jack started to joke around in the shed and take as many pictures as possible ("That's a disposable camera, Jack." Bridget warned. "Don't forget how many shots you take.").

He didn't forget.

Jack made sure to take only the ones that were…necessary for all of the 'treasured' memories he was making that night. Like tickling Bunny's nose with a piece of hay. Or how about using Nightlight's flashlight to make shadow puppets for the Mini-fairies and Petrov to watch? He even was successful at taking Sal from Bridget without her knowing and place the amphibian on North's arm to surprise him.

It was a very enjoyable night to say the least, even if Bridget still had no idea how Jack got away with it all. She could've said something but Jack gave her those damned eyes of his and she became whipped.

"I still have no idea while my arm vas so sticky from that time in barn shed." North said as they all mused over the last few days while in the cart.

"Heck should I know." Jack said with a knowing grin. He became the only person that knew Bridget flicked his ear seconds later.

Bridget feigned innocence. "I just hope we can get to that Hill of Tara soon. Please tell me we less than 40 miles."

Tooth looked over the map and smiled. "We should actually get there by tonight. There's an old road that not many people use that should be fine for us to travel on."

"Let's take it." Bridget stated. "I'm tired of all of these bumps on the road, literally."

"Be grateful we dealing with actual bumps and none of those rats with wings." Bunny scowled. "Can't understand why the scut hasn't send an army at us after all this time."

"Probably trying to bid her time," Jack said while looking at the sky. He had a reason to, knowing about the crazed birds that obeyed that Goddess of Death.

"Well she sure is taking her time." Bridget mused. She instinctively went to her right wrist before going to her hair to pull at it (today it was plaited in a sporty French braid with three blue-green feathers sticking out in a peacock fashion). Jack noticed her concern and gently place a hand over hers and squeezed it gently. Bridget looked over at him and smiled slightly, showing that while she was scared she was still fine. At least she was fine enough to travel on a perilous journey to defeat an ancient god that could destroy all of humanity. Yeah…she was totally okay with that.

"She must have something planned but we'll just have to be more clever." Bunny said with a smirk. "Hasn't been the first when we had to come up with a trick to fool 'em."

"And I'm all about tricks." Jack winked at Bridget who rolled her eyes despite her blush.

"Yes and Sandy is right," North spoke after reading an encouraging note from the Sandman. "Ve vill need to pull all our few but useful strengths if ve are to fight the Morrígan. After all if ve believe ve vill fail than failure foreseeable."

"And if we go to all those children we might get enough belief for our powers comeback." Tooth grinned happily."

"Or if we kick that Crow Lady's butt hard enough she might give them back." Jack couldn't stop grinning stupidly at the prospect of going after the goddess.

"Now," North cautioned. "As much as the getting of the even-ing sounds like fun, ve must remember that true power is from belief. For that is one of the most real magics in the vorld."

A sense of familiarity wrapped around Bridget. She held a look of deep thought while trying to piece together what North had said. His words reminded her of something but it wasn't like the weird trippy thing with the spear it was a more recent memory that she was trying to recall. Was it something that may have been said during a stay at a previous town? She knew someone important had said something with similar wording to her, but she couldn't remember if it was said as a question or an answer. Her thoughts went away when she felt a jab at her shoulder.

"Look," Jack pointed toward the horizon. "The sun's rising." He knew Bridget wouldn't want to miss that, which was why it became his personal mission to tell her when the sun was starting to come out every morning so she could get the chance to see it. The way she smiled while looking at the sky made his insides tingle.

For once Bridget was glad to have lost her train of thought. Nothing was better than seeing the early sunrise of a brand new day. A day meant new promises and beginnings that could be made and Bridget was starting to love looking at the sunrises in Ireland than anywhere else. She loved to see how the light would clash against the fading dawn, and how the sky became its familiar pink glow and orange hue mixed with yellow.

"I am still not bored with looking at a sunrise." Bridget smiled wistfully.

Tooth smiled to herself and nodded. "They are lovely to look at."

North wasn't as enthralled with the phenomenon as the other two. "Sunrise means less time to get to Hill of Tara. I'll need to find that road soon."

"And also be on our guards." Bunny cut in. "I can't help but feel something might go down when we go after that rock."

"I have feeling in belly," North added. "Not sure if it is good or bad yet but I never doubt it before."

Bridget sighed silently. The bad feelings she was feeling earlier were starting to resurface again. She wasn't going to deny it to anyone but she didn't want to openly express it either but she was afraid. She was afraid of going into a potential battle and fight with what little strengths she had. Of course from her training with Bunny she was learning in a gradual pace of hand-to-hand combat fighting while also learning the positive side to defense. But her biggest worry was that she was worried if all that practice and the sparing would be all for nothing. Would she freeze during a fight with a nasty crow and literally choke under the pressure? Or would the worst come over her and cause her fire to come out? The latter one was what frightened her the most. There were the other fears of the Morrígan winning and never seeing Jamie and the kids again but the last thing Bridget wanted was for the rest of her friends to discover her powers under those circumstances. She knew that none of the Guardians were in anyway prejudice but something was always in the back of her mind saying that if she showed her powers in the worst situation possible it would lead to rejection, trust being question, and worst of all, abandonment.

Bridget didn't want to be left alone again, not after finding such wonderful people that cared about her. She didn't want to lose the trust she had with the Bennetts and she most certainly did not want to lose the trust she had forged with the Guardians. All her life reading about her heroes was one of the early comforts that made her happy. She loved how kind they were to every child and never stopping there desire to keep them safe. And when the stories turned out to be true when Jamie told her about his time with them Bridget knew that the Guardians truly did care for all of the kids in the world…but would they trust someone who was surely leaving childhood behind in a week and that same person was different from most people? These questions left Bridget feeling more conflicted about revealing her powers than ever before.

"You okay?" Bridget turned to see Jack giving her a concerned look, all previous thoughts melting away effortlessly.

Bridget mustered a smile and nodded. _"As long as you're around I will be."_

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Bunny sighed for the umpteenth time that day. It would seem that Bridget had gotten too bored from her game of I-Spy and decided to play the annoying card.

"We'll when we'll get there." The pooka attempted to sound calm. It was times like those that he preferred the solitude of his eggs. They never talked but it was a whole lot better than the irritation he was getting from Bridget. He was surprised that her behavior annoyed none of the others; they were all in the same cart for MiM's sake!

"Okay," Bridget drawled out. "But we'll be there soon right?"

"Ugh." Bunny moaned. Tooth patted his head in an attempt to calm him down.

Jack leaned over to where Bridget sat and with a playful smirk whispered something into her ear. Bunny watched the sight before him with slight apprehension. The tension grew inside him when he saw the girl's face growing red. Bunny's left ear twitched slightly.

Now Bunny being a Guardian to children was dealing with a difficulty for Bridget seeing how she wasn't exactly a child, but that didn't mean what Jack said to her was probably…indecent.

"It's hard isn't it?" Tooth whispered to him. Bunny arched an eyebrow, showing his confusion.

Tooth smiled. "'The worrying coming around like this." She continued in a hushed whisper. "Sure we protect the children of the world but the difference here and back to the old days was that we weren't too close to them as much. But then of course Jack found a way to get us to bond with a few special ones because it made us happy. Now after meeting an actual girl who, unlike the Burgess children, has no one else to be with. It only makes sense for us to worry and be protective of her than most because of it."

"Dose it ever go away?" Bunny half-joked but still held a slight concern. Thoughts of Sophie came running into his mind as fast as the excited little 3-year-old running around his Warren.

Tooth shook her head. "Never."

"Everyone," North called out, everyone's eyes poured toward the ex-Cossack. "Ve are heading toward out destination."

"The Hill of Tara," Bridget's mouth became a straight line.

North nodded and jerked his head forward while keeping his hands on the reins tightened. The road they took was made entirely from gravel and crunched against the rolling wheels. With each passing yard the ground was slowly replaced by green grass and long open fields. A mile up ahead the flat ground gave way to a large mass of land that extended upwards into the ominous hill.

Some bile ascended through Bridget's throat before she swallowed it down, or at least she felt like throwing up. Jack picked up on her worried expression and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is something wrong?" Bridget felt all eyes peering at her. The bile was threatening to come back up again.

"My stupid, guilty conscience is starting to rear its ugly head at me." Bridget sighed. "I'm not really sure about this whole 'taking a national artifact from an obvious location' again." She mentally cursed. "I know we need to take the stone to save the day and all but I'm still worried about stealing something that is pretty much an important part of…well you know."

Jack gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It's hard but….we really have no other choice."

"We'll return it and the weapons back to where they belong when this is all over." Tooth promised. "It's not like there are any gods still living here to give the treasures of their race back to them."

"Unless you count the crazy Scut." Bunny glowered.

North hummed in thought. "Ve must not let Morrígan get her hands-er-claws on treasures. She might use them for nefarious reasons or prevent us from bringing out the Torch."

"Another thing to add onto the ever-growing list I suppose." Bridget sighed.

"Things vill get better once Morrígan is gone for good." North swore. "Ve need all help ve can get to stop her and everything vill go back to normal."

"Well," Jack smiled toward Bridget. "Maybe not everything."

Bridget grinned while trying to hold back a giggle. Bunny sighed. North and Sandy exchanged knowing looks and chuckled to themselves. Tooth shook her head and fused over her Mini-fairies. Nightlight was confused by the expressions being exchanged but remained in his usual silence.

* * *

"Mistress…"

The Morrígan tilted her head, showing that she heard her general. Aingeal an Bháis cleared her throat before speaking, "A flock has returned and spoke of the False Gods have arriving near the Hill."

The goddess smirked after hearing the news. "How wonderful to hear. Perhaps giving them an early visit should be to out advantage. After all with all those weapons they have been carrying for Danu-knows-how-long they would probably prefer to be…relieved of that burden." Her smirk grew into a wicked smile.

"Shall I have a chariot prepare for you?" Aingeal asked while the Morrígan walked away from the main hall near the main corridor. The stonewalls were much more narrow and shorter in height, forcing the Morrígan to lean forward slightly to avoid hitting the ceiling. On the walls carvings of past Tuatha Dé Danann warriors, they showcased all of the great battles they had faced during their reign. One particular image showed a woman with long hair embracing a fallen warrior. Her head was pulled up as if she was howling toward the sky over her loss. Seconds later the image was slashed away by the hand on an embittered goddess.

"_I thought I got rid of all of those," _the Morrígan mused with a deep sigh.

_**Someone must have been in one of her moods again to have had forgotten this hall…**_

"_You've come back from your….how many missions have you returned to exactly?"_

_**Don't act so proud, My Lady. It is not my fault those False Gods of yours have nothing to report unless you like road-trip comedies? Not to mention that blasted Glow-boy makes it difficult to slither into their camp without notice. You would assume he had gotten weaker after **_**losing **_**his little moonbeam. **_

The Morrígan sighed once more. Aingeal inwardly squawked while avoiding her queen's clawed hand. "M-mistress?"

"Forgive me…my mind was at a loss of absence at the moment."

_**Isn't it always? **_The Morrígan almost heard mockery in the damned shadow's voice.

"I will not take the chariot this time around thank you. Those brutes have not been broken properly yet." She could almost remember how resistant they were to her the first time she attempted to travel on that monstrosity. The brutes were no different than their previous owner. "I'll use magic again to form an illusion for myself again." Her smirk returned with a vengeance. "I believe my last performance left my audience stunned for a while." She inwardly frowned at the choice of words she had just used. _"Must be **his** doing again."_

"Very well. Would you like a flock to be on guard with you?"

"If you insist." The Morrígan answered, she didn't care either way; all she wanted was to get everything prepared for the 52nd day. _Mí na Samhna was already underway and the Morrígan knew things needed to be in place. After all, everything and everyone had their place and needed to be in it. The great gods like herself will be on the highest pinnacle of supremacy while everyone else like those filthy and fickle worshipers would be far below her. Yes, everything would be back in order once she had the treasures and no Fire Arrow around to stop her this time._

_**How brave of you to finalize on a decision like that. You must really wish for that certain worshiper to suffer…Ahh~ I see now, you are hoping to retrieve something that belongs to her. Something fresher in order to complete your spell.**_

A sickly smile appeared on the Morrígan's face as she came up to the surface. The sky was a cover of silvery gray with clouds covering the setting sun. Nighttime would soon follow and the first step would take place. The first step that would lead to the grand finale when…

_**All things will come to an end by the Solstice, **_the mind of the shadow spoke. "When the line between this world and the next is almost nonexistent." The Morrígan thought sinisterly.

The last day of light will come.

* * *

The sky was inky with no stars or moon to lighten the night. With the use of Nightlight's flashlight North could barely-but still visibly-see the green hill before him. It took sometime arriving to the area in County Meath with Sandy needing to 'knock-out' any passerby's. Bunny was the first out as he placed his feet onto the ground and sniffed the air for any unusual activity. When he sensed nothing out of the ordinary he gave the okay to the others. Everyone else silently jumped out of the cart to the best of their abilities. Tooth needed an extra hand from North while she climbed out and then used her trusty staff to balance herself.

Bridget was the last to get out while she held the Spear of Lug with both hands. Her small fingers creased over the carved lines. She could almost feel the familiar electricity she remembered feeling the first time clutching it, whether that feeling was meant to be good or bad she was still uncertain.

The redhead soon felt a familiar hand on her shoulder and saw Jack a split of a second later. "Are you ready?" His voice was confident and calm, showing no traces of fear on him.

Bridget shrugged. "Still feeling a little woozy, but that's normal right?"

Jack half-smiled. "Lot's of people feel that way." With a gentle push Jack led the two of them up the hill. The rest of the group was already halfway up. "I do find it a little strange you're now getting nervous before a fight since this is what the fifth or sixth time you've been in one."

"Not counting the times with my hellish high schools too?" Bridget arched an eyebrow. Jack frowned; he was starting to understand what she was implying.

"It would be really bad if I went all fiery again." Bridget explained. "There's a good chance of it happening since I am still learning my abilities as a fighter."

"You're getting a lot better than you give credit." Jack complimented. "I haven't seen anyone more determined than you to learn how to fight."

"I want to do anything I can to help you guys. Even without your big powers you guys still have the advantage of having more years of experience than me."

"The same people who helped you train, by the way." Jack's eyes softened while he turned her shoulders to look at him directly. "You don't have to worry over what may or may no happen yet. Nothing's happened yet for all we know we'll just grab the rock and get all the weapons together and kick that Crow Lady's butt."

Bridget smiled slightly, her conviction becoming clearer. "I guess you're right. Who knows I might have some secret power inside me to fight any dark forces ahead of us."

"Not counting your firepowers." Jack raised a brow. Bridget mirrored the expression. "Something like that." She giggled for a second until Jack pressed his nose against her, his eyes closed and breathing out a cool sigh. Her gray eyes widened slightly and her mouth quivered before she closed her eyes too and slowly returned the gesture full-heartedly.

"Let's go," Jack said after coming out of the embrace first. "We can't let those old geezers up there have all the fun."

Bridget rolled her eyes playfully and gave him a slight push on his shoulder. "Should I be calling you old too? You're old enough to mine or Jamie's ancestor."

The annoyed look on Jack made Bridget laugh. "I think I preferred it more when you just called me lazy."

"You're so old, your hair is whiter than North's." Bridget yelped before dodging a snowball and quickly ran up the hill.

"You're not getting away that easily." Jack warned but a hint of mischievousness was clearly in his eyes. Bridget stuck her tongue out and avoided another snow missile. She giggled while raising an eyebrow. "Is that the best you got?"

"No," Jack answered, lowering his staff to the ground. "This is." With a zap ice appeared under Bridget's feet and she slipped.

"A-ah," a scream escaped Bridget's throat just as she was about to fall to the ground. A moment later Jack caught her inches from the ground. His smirk was apparent while he helped the girl up. "Is this you're plan now? To save me from falling all the time?"

"So far it's a success." Jack beamed as Bridget sighed. "C'mon, you know you like it."

"I think the others are waiting for us." Bridget stated and did her best to keep Jack from seeing her blushing face. Despite trying her hardest to keep him from looking Jack still saw a glimpse of her redden cheeks and smiled once more.

She was just too adorable for words.

Eventually the two of them reached the top of the hill with the others were waiting (hopefully patiently). Bridget felt her breathing hitch, before her was the legendary Stone of Fáil. She titled her head while looking at the rock, her amazed expression quickly fading. Perhaps legendary was too strong of a word in her opinion; Bridget wasn't expecting to see fireworks or a great light while a heavenly choir sang unattractively in the background but she had still expected something. In a sense the stone was more of a Fail than a Fáil.

On the very center of the hill stood the proud…rock. The stone itself was a dark gray with a few dents covering the poor thing. Everything about it looked old and tired, as if it was waiting for something to happen and Bridget guessed it was waiting for them. After a moment North placed the Dagda's cauldron on the ground while Tooth placed the sword that once belonged to Núadu next to it. Bridget was a little hesitant of what to do first until she saw North give her a look that spoke 'keep it.' With that newfound placate Bridget smiled softly and held the spear in a more lax form.

"So," Bridget shrugged her shoulders. "Are we just gonna keep standing here or are we going to do something and get that rock?"

"We should've brought the cart up here with us," Jack muttered in realization while tapping his knuckles over the rock.

Before the others could even groan at the thought something else happened. Something very horrible was to come. The clouds turned into a harsher color and swirled violently and loud screeching could be heard. Bridget kneeled to the ground while covering her ears from the loud noises. She wasn't the only one as Bunny and Nightlight soon joined her and saw that the both of them were clearly wincing in pain. North used his sword to prevent himself from toppling over. Tooth pushed her cane deeply into the ground while clutching her Mini-fairy filled satchel toward her body. Jack did a similar move with him holding onto the stone.

Memories from Santoff Claussen and the white cliffs on the coast swarm into Bridget's mind. She swallowed an invisible lump; a dark force was coming, and she **knew **whom it was.

The winds began dying into a stiff silence. The air around Bridget felt muffled and dead with each breath she took feeling more desperate than the last. She had no idea if this was to be the last time she would take in a lungful of air. Suddenly a white fog appeared that covered the ground completely. The fog was so thick that Bunny's waistline could be barely seen below the mist. North and the other Guardians raised themselves from the ground and stood with their weapons at the ready. Bridget followed their examples by gripping the spear in her hands and tensed less after remembering her early teachings.

Jack removed his hand from the rock the moment he felt a cold shiver that shot his upper arm and body. _"Okay, haven't felt coldness since I was human. Would this be a good time to panic?"_

_**Stand back.**_

Jack jumped away and added a yelp of alarm. A few feet before him Jack could see a long skinny arm with sharp, yellow claws wrapped around the edge of the stone. Through the mist came a wicked being that practically glided over the ground like a ghost. Her body was covered in black feathers but instead of it being a source for a spell to create a form, the plumage was used as a means of a long dress that draped over the woman like a mourning gown. But nothing of her outer appearance showed any signs of remorse or pain instead her pale face was lined with lines of anger and discontentment with blood-red eyes glaring down. The old phrase if _Looks Could Kill _started to sound very realistic to Jack at the moment.

"NO UNWORTHY HANDS ARE ALLOWED TO TAINT THIS STONE!" The goddess hissed loudly. Bridget wanted to cover her ears again but decided that she didn't want to make a scene; the Morrígan was doing a more than perfect job of that.

Unfortunately for Bridget the Morrígan soon trained her eyes on her. Bridget could feel the hairs on the back of her neck straighten. Her eyes widened in absolute fear as legs felt like they were threatening to buckle. At the time she wouldn't have seen the concern looks her friends gave her or the dark one Jack threw at the Morrígan's back. The goddess stood poised and erect while staring coldly at Bridget. With one step forward the Morrígan was in front of the redhead.

Coldness soon found itself in Bridget; a feeling never wanting to be cheerful again nearly overcame her as she clung to the spear hopelessly. She hoped having the brave and heroic relic near her would give her strength. Much to her surprise the Morrígan did not show any signs of the desire to attack her. Not much of a crouched down position or raised clawed hand to strike was seen. She just stood there while her lifeless brown hair occasionally blew with a breeze.

"If there is one thing I hate more than a False God tainting my belongings is a **human **carrying it around as if it was her own." The Morrígan narrowed her eyes into snake-like slits. That sight would've been frightening on its own if it wasn't for the dark shadow Bridget saw slither near her feet. She knew magic was involved when she saw the shadow wear a mask over its apparent face. The black metal had only three slits that she correctly assumed were the eyes and mouth. Something otherworldly about that shadow made her feel uncomfortable. Its hands lifted themselves off of the ground aim towards her feet.

"_Oh shit I'm gonna die! Oh shit I'm gonna die!" _Bridget's mind repeated those words over and over while the darkness crept in.

Moments later the shadow yelled in alarm when the ground it was on became a frozen shelf of ice. Jack channeled another zap of ice this time towards the Morrígan who dodged the attack by jumping up high in the air before landing to the ground, creating a large earthquake-like rumble on the ground. Bridget got out of the Morrígan's landing area quick enough to not feel the hardest parts of the impact. The Goddess of Death soon got more than she bargained for when North and Nightlight soon began charging at her with their sword and staff respectively. More ice zaps from Jack came in as the onslaught continued.

The Morrígan roared toward the sky as a dozen crows soon came flying in. Bunny and Tooth were ready as the fairy started to whack unsuspecting birds with her cane and Bunnymund used his exceptional kicking skills to knock birds out of the air. Sandy went over the cauldron while making a silent order while a small cloud of black birds volleyed over toward him. In a few seconds the birds were bombarded with thick hot soup shooting out of the cauldron. The soup soon evaporated moments later while Sandy looked over to see only small blobs of homunculi gunk left. He smiled in victory from his clever idea. Sandy may have celebrated a little early when the globs started to form back together and become a slightly larger bird. Blank eyes of death glowered at two honey-golden ones widen in fear.

The others were having the same bad luck as well with the birds only coming back even stronger than before. _"They're indestructible!" _Jack gaped momentarily before he noticed a certain shadow trying to crawl where Bridget was. Seconds later Jack zapped the shadow with ice only for it to glide over it like a normal could do. Jack was ready to go after it until several crows flew at him as if they were ready to reenact The Birds after all.

Bridget was split in half over which style she could fight in. When a bird dive-bombed toward her, Bridget temporarily dropped the spear and pulled a Grasp the Sparrow's tail move by literally grabbing the crow's tail and flinging down the hill. Right after she picked up the spear a cold chill came over her and she turned to see that creepy shadow that was with the Morrígan. The redhead gulped nervously while doing her best to clasp the spear in her hands. The shadow did not look the least frighten under his mask while he started to inch toward her.

"_Dammit! Why didn't they teach me how to fight shadows?...Because it sounds stupid that's why….!" _

Bridget ran towards the stone of destiny in hopes of evading the shadow. Even though Jack had shot a wave of frost at it earlier did not stop the murky shade forever. With the fog still on the ground Bridget couldn't see where the shadow would strike next until it appeared over the rock, its arms already starting to lift off of the mineral.

"No!" Bridget screamed. Without thinking she thrust the spear toward the shadow while it dodged the attack. She used as much force that her arm possessed toward the thrust until…

CRACK!

The Morrígan had North on his knees, ready to hex him with any spell in her disposal when she heard the noise. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight she saw before her.

Bridget opened her eyes and they widened in shock. The spear in her hands wasn't what had been damaged like she had thought but instead it dived through the rock and sliced it in half. The redhead dropped her jaw slightly and closed it again. She shimmied the spear in order to release it from the stone but caused the broken in half stone to wobble and fall to the ground. Dust and sand covered the air around Bridget as she coughed and waved her hand around to wipe the cloud of debris away. The moment she did Bridget realized the Morrígan was now three feet away from her.

"Uhh, oops." Bridget smiled innocently before stepping back a moment later when the Morrígan glared at her. She hurried over to where the stone was and held a look of disbelief while gaping at the damage.

"This really looks bad." The redhead sighed while turning to where the Guardians stood and frowned miserably. She looked at them with a helpless look, completely unsure of what could be done. She had just destroyed a priceless artifact and the last treasure.

"YOU!" All eyes turned to where the Morrígan crouched. Feelings of despair and fear enwrapped around Bridget and the Guardians, leaving them petrified from the goddess' steely glare. "You violated the most important of all the Treasures!"

Bridget bit her inner cheek and ended up saying, "Well to be honest it was your demented shadow's fault for being there and me not knowing how strong this spear here is." She lifted the spear for emphasis. "Could there be some insurance place where we can go and report it?" Bridget knew the situation wasn't much of a laughing matter but it was the only thing that came to mind at the moment, not to mention it was her way of trying to liven the mood when she did something wrong to ease the tension.

It was the thing Bridget did whenever people who were against her were involved. She still felt horrible for destroying an artifact of ancient Irish history and she did act very impulsive on her part but she couldn't think of anything else to do than to fight off the shadow. None of the others would've came to her aid, they were all too busy with either the crazed Crow Lady or one of her crazed followers threatening to slice and dice her friends.

The Morrígan felt her jaw drop again and this time out of shock from the human. That little worm acted as though losing the sacred Stone of Destiny was like misplacing your favorite dagger or the sheep you were meant to sacrifice had ran off somewhere.

This. Was. Nothing. Like. That. At. All!

A sulfur-like scent soon wreaked the air with its overpowering perfume. Bridget winced from the change and covered her nose.

"Brimstone." Bunny sniffed the air in distaste.

"How did it…" Jack trailed off when he saw something very strange coming from the crumbled rock. The damaged rock started to glow yellow and made a sound almost as though it was pulsating.

Bridget blinked a couple times before jerking her head toward the Guardians. She whispered just as she pointed at the rock. "I don't think that's normal, even for you guys right?"

The Guardians nodded before they each took a cautious step back. Bridget mimicked their movements again and put her attention back to the throbbing rubble once more. The glow soon started to turn brighter and brighter until it became a blinding white that shot an unusual shape right above where the stone's original height was. A four-pointed image appeared over where the light shone. Bridget glanced at the stitching on her coat. She also caught a glimpse of the Morrígan's expression and could've sworn she saw a hint of some unexplained emotion in her eyes.

"_I could fall into the darkest pits and torture myself in the Otherworld." _The Morrígan cursed. Before her was the worst sign she could have seen. First the Stone of Fáil was destroyed by the hands of a mere mortal, the same damned mortal whom she couldn't wring her little neck or stab in the back repeatedly like any other unsuspecting creature. And now that accursed image appeared before her like a beacon. It was a beacon of pure mockery in the goddess opinion; the Fire Arrow still deceived her even after so-called death.

"…ildare." Bridget heard the Morrígan mutter under her breath. "KILDARE! How did I not see it! This stone is a fake." She started to stare murderously at Bridget. "And you made me learn of this news."

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" Bridget whimpered while taking a safe step back. The Morrígan said nothing and took a step forward.

"Sacred images or not I will take my fury on you!" Red eyes bled into gray before the Morrígan called out a battle cry.

"Bridget!" The redhead was too busy being frozen with fear to tell if that was Jack calling or if everyone was.

Her mind began to go blank the moment the Morrígan raised her razor sharp claws and was preparing to strike. Jack ran as fast as he could to where the Morrígan was and attempted to strike her with his staff. Without even looking the Morrígan slapped him away with a blast of black feathers, knocking him over toward the remains of the false stone of destiny. Something inside the human stirred and everything around her appeared to be in slow motion, and it didn't feel like slow motion but it **was**. Bridget felt a surge of great power reel in her as she lifted the spear over her face.

The Morrígan was inches away from the worshiper's face when the familiar wood of Lug's spear blocked the course of her claws. She blinked once, assuming that she had only mistaken her direction and lifted her claws to strike once more. Another aforementioned fluke happened when the girl blocked that attack with the blunt end of the spear. To say the Morrígan was at a loss for words would've been an understatement. Her brows furrowed in confusion before glancing down toward the human. The girl's expression looked like she was dead. No, her chest continued moving upwards and back the girl still lived, but her eyes. Something was deep inside the two eyes that gave the goddess the impression that something….or someone was in control. Several crows attempted to come for their Mistress' aid and attack the human girl but much to everyone's surprise Bridget deflected the birds away and even succeed in slicing one in half. The bird remained being a glob on the grass as the other birds looked at each other confusingly. They all cawed together before deciding to fly away from the area as possible.

"COWARDS!" The Morrígan called out in anger.

Bridget continued feeling the surge within her as she stood up, not at once fearing of the Morrígan. Her instincts to protect her loved ones coursed through her veins like fire. While holding shaft near the sharp end of the spear, she aimed it near the goddess' stomach, as she knew well enough that anatomy was a vulnerable part of the body. The Morrígan dodged the thrust and avoided an attempt of a slash near her right arm. Her red eyes widened in shock, this girl was moving in a way no mortal could.

"I won't stand you trying to hurt my friends." Bridget spoke in a determined voice. Her eyes shined the familiar color of melted silver as she took a step forward. The spear itself even held that familiar glow. She clasped the spear with a strength never seen by the others. The Morrígan attempted to swing an arm near the girl but Bridget swiped it away with the use of her spear.

The Morrígan nearly gaped at the sight before her. A mere human standing up to her?! It was preposterous and not to mention unheard of. How could a tiny little being held so much power? And there was to mention that **look**. That deep glare the human bore into the goddess showed so much resolve, it was more power than the event with the blood wolves. A sudden memory weaved itself into her subconscious. Two beings fighting for the fate of an unseen force, both fight valiantly until one is betrayed.

"_It can't be," _the Morrígan felt her heartbeat quicken. _"The Fire Arrow wouldn't make such time be wasted on a human like this one. Surely this must be some apparition that is doing this to me." _

_**Go…**_ the shadow spoke only to her. _**The stone isn't here. Kildare will be where it lies. Clearly that symbol showed that the Fire Arrow had something to do with it. And your full power hasn't recovered yet.**_

"_Fire Arrow must have hidden the stone before the self-banishment." _The Morrígan mustered as much energy left in her. Damn, she really did lose a portion during the confrontation. _"This child and the False Gods won't let me near the other treasures."_

Bridget kept the spear close to herself while Nightlight held the sword, and Sandy guarding the cauldron steadfast. None of them looked like they were going to let go anytime soon. The Morrígan cursed after noticing that all of her crows were down for the count. She would have to Majik more from her alchemy spells again, once her energy came back again. With a flourish from her arm the Morrígan used the last of her magic to travel back.

"_I will see them in Kildare, by then my power will be stronger." _

She left the False Gods and worshiper alone and confused.

* * *

_**That was a nice turn of events. **_The Morrígan hissed. _**Well you do not have to sound so aggressive.**_

"_I have every right to be angry, thank you." _The Morrígan glowered at him. _"My power had an even worse effect on the False Gods than ever before. I did not even lay one scratch on their hides."_

_**Funny how that doesn't work for the so-called Goddess of Death. Honestly with some many people dying all the time it would've been enough power for you.**_

The Morrígan roared which caused most of the earth above her to shake violently. The children in cages whimpered from the shifts as the feathers covering them still remained. Despair was still hovering around them as long as the Morrígan was around to keep it that way.

Returning to the earth mound took much more time for the goddess than usual with most of her power drained. Some of her energy started to return the moment after she left the hill. Being on sacred land could do many things to a Tuatha Dé Danann_, _depending on the being it would be rejuvenating or life draining depending on the site. Though the fact the stone was a fake led to the question as to why did it affect her?

_**If I may make a suggestion, I believe the reason behind your strength weakening was due to the rock.**_

_"The rock is only that. It was not the Stone of Fáil at all."_

_**No, but if the Fire Arrow wanted to deceive the Faeries long enough to assume that was the sacred stone, then the Fire Arrow hid it away in Kildare. The last place you would seek the treasures out.**_

"I hate how true you are." The Morrígan spoke again. "I would never think of going to that wretched place. Too much of the Fire Arrow's power resides there."

_**And yet you sent a crow to take a child all the same.**_

"I had wished to spite the Fire Arrow with taking one at least. If the Fire Arrow was still stirring I am certain the Fire Arrow would hate to see a child lost." The Morrígan laughed darkly at the thought and smirked in delight when she heard the caged children whimpering once more. "But still, that one human with the False Gods has become much more than an nuisance. She is indeed becoming a wedge in my plans. I am not sure how the Fire Arrow blesses or taught her the true strength behind the spear but I will not allow it to continue."

_**You believe that the Fire Arrow is somehow aiding the girl, let alone had blessed her?**_

The Morrígan glared at the wall where the shadow stood. "Yes~ the Fire Arrow wants the Throne. But the Throne belongs to me. The Fire Arrow wishes to use a puppet by all means to secure the Throne but I will not allow this. The puppet will be discarded! But how?~"

All the shadow could do was sigh quietly. Even when she spoke sanely, the Morrígan was still obsessed over that Fire Arrow. The shadow knew it needed to tier the direction of the conversation away or else the goddess would be even harder to control. An idea soon came into mind with the mention 'puppet'.

_**Did you say you needed a fresher belonging from the False God worshiper?**_

The Morrígan finished seething long enough to hear what the shadow spoke of.

_**I might have something that could be of use. **_The shadow lifted his silhouette of a hand to reveal a long strand of red hair. _**When the girl was not looking I plucked this strand from her head. With the blooded cloth and this hair should be enough for your spell if I assume correctly.**_

The Morrígan took the strand from the shadow's hand and peered deeply at the hair. She was momentarily surprised by the scent of apples but ignored it soon after inspecting the lock for any imperfections or attached portions that would off-balance the hair. A smirk soon stretched itself over her face.

"I might just have what is needed for the little…surprise I will have for the worshiper after all. Her existence with the False Gods will no longer be a setback for me once I complete the charm."

_**May I remind you that most of your power has not returned yet. It will truly return when-**_

"When the Solstice comes I am fully aware of that, thank you." The Morrígan glared at the shadow. "But until then I shall be prepared for the last step before the ritual will take place. Once the location of the true stone is found I will collect the treasures and take what rightfully belongs to ME!"

The Morrígan cackled loudly into the night as darkness covered the sky in an inky layer of despair. The shadow crept into the furthest corners of the mound and spoke quietly to itself.

_**And when despair takes the minds of the humans another emotion will take root in their hearts. **_The eyes inside the mask glowed a sickly yellow that soon spawned into a deep gold that would never give comfort to someone lost in the darkness, for those eyes would remind someone of the most fearsome predator that could almost taste terror.

* * *

Complete silence came over the group in a moment after the Morrígan vanished. All eyes stared toward the sky where they had lost seen her. Some of them mentally berated themselves for not trying to follow her or even do more when Bridget had started to whack the goddess. The memory of that event came back into each respected mind. How did she fight off the Goddess of Death on her own like that?

"_Surely MiM must've had something to do with it." _Nightlight thought while putting the sword back into its scabbard. The familiar sound of metal being covered by protective fabric reached his spectral ears. _"He may have not been here physically but he had a reason for choosing Bridget to join us. Even if it is only temporary…right?"_

Right?

"I had no idea North and Bunny's training would make such an improvement on you skills, Bridget." Tooth spoke with complete awe. Bridget only shrugged while looking lowly to the ground. She had no idea.

"You did look pretty brave back there." Jack pointed out as he walked down the hill with the others. Despite everyone else brushing away Bridget's outburst he was still shaken by what he had seen. It reminded Jack a lot of the time when she tried to attack the Dream Pirates and when she went after those blood wolves near the cliffs. Nearly both of those ended with her life on the line and Jack didn't like that one bit. And the way she glared at the Morrígan looked so strange to Jack. The glare was similar to the ones he used to shot at Pitch during the hellish events after Easter was ruined. The unfortunate events left an unsettling feeling inside Jack as he thought over of what he saw. There must have been something between Bridget and the goddess to have brought so much tension in the air but it wouldn't make sense if Bridget had met the Morrígan before…no. That would be impossible, Bridget had known of her around the same time the rest of the Guardians did. With one shake of his head Jack brushed away those thoughts. Bridget was good and on their side, she only knew a lot about the goddess because of her books. As for the spear handling…she most likely had saved up her true power until the Morrígan came around that was it.

Right?

Tooth smiled in understanding after seeing Bridget motion with her shoulders. If the girl didn't wish to elaborate then Tooth was going to be polite and allow Bridget to have her space. She did wish Bridget could have elaborated more on how she handled the Morrígan so well. Bridget held herself in a way that seemed so different than the other times she sparred with Nightlight. There could be the argument that Bridget wasn't holding back because she disliked the Morrígan as much as everyone else, and probably more since she knew more about the goddess. Bridget did read a lot about the Morrígan from her books. They would've told much from the supposed origins of the goddess and her not-so downfall. But something felt wrong about that idea. Bridget had this dark glare at the Morrígan that, in a disturbing way, reminded Tooth of the dark moments she encountered with the Monkey King. Tooth quivered with apprehension, her colorful feathers ruffled. She remembered those horrible memories quite easily with the being the Guardian of all childhood memories which included her knowing her own. Her fights with the Monkey King were proof of how much hatred was there between them.

The small skirmish between Bridget and the Morrígan, while small in comparison to Tooth's fights, held up with the same energy and anger. In the end, Tooth figured out what the two beings decided they would see each other; they both now saw the other as a mortal enemy; one who must be killed or be killed by, and that did not settle well with Tooth. She did not want to see another fall at the hands of anger and hatred and be consumed by vengeance. The Morrígan was already a lost cause but the fairy did not wish to see her little Wisdom Tooth to fall down that same path that she almost fell into. Tooth sighed and recomposed herself moments later after Bunnymund gave her a soft look. She wasn't going to dwell on something that wasn't going to happen. Tooth laughed to herself, she was being silly. Bridget was a levelheaded and sweet girl, she wasn't going to let her memories of past pains fuel her hate. She was going to help the Guardians and stay on the right track. A small feeling of remorse suddenly surged through Tooth. What would exactly happen after the quest was over? Certainly Bridget would just go back to Burgess with Jamie and Sophie, it was where she belonged.

Right?

Bunny was able to see though Tooth's beaming grin she gave him, being a pooka allowed him to understand other species around him and figure out when they would be telling the truth or hiding away something important. He had seen this many times before back in his days as a Zen-like warrior while observing beings during his time-traveling as well. Though recently Bunny did started to see something with Bridget. He hated to admit it but the pooka felt that his Big Ankle-biter was hiding something. Whether it had something to do with those…'walks' she had with Jack or something completely different Bunny still sensed something was up. The way she handled the spear earlier for example was an odd behavioral pattern since he always suspected that the Shelia was someone how wouldn't want to harm a fly (even the ones that forced a certain pooka to do an Aussie Salute). He had hypothesized due to that behavior it made fighting difficult for Bridget to defend herself against Nightlight's attacks, hence why she always looked unfocused while sparring. But after seeing the fight with the Morrígan it proved that the ankle-biter wasn't a pushover after all. If given more time Bridget could've sliced some of the Scut's feathers clean off her cloak. The human girl meant business when she glared directly at the goddess and showed some pretty decent moves while slashing her spear all willy-nilly.

Something had to have been up. The Big Ankle-biter had to have learned how to fight somewhere that wasn't from a book. How she moved with the spear and how she moved showed that must've handled a weapon before or had experience fighting. So far, for all he knew, she was still on the seventy-fifth step of learning Tai-Chi. He wanted to ask her for an explanation but the girl obviously looked tired from the fight and he decided to be like Tooth and wait until the Shelia was ready to talk. He gave that enough trust to learn the truth. He knew she wasn't hiding anything from the others.

Right?

Bridget bit her lower lip and sighed. She wasn't sure what she had done earlier was from the other Guardian's teachings. She had been progressing ever since her time at the mountain but no enough to fight a goddess one on one. Bridget didn't even know she had that kind of courage inside of her and a part of her kept wondering where she went when that whole thing happened. She barely remembered what had happened while she clutched the spear. All she could recall was seeing Jack being push aside by the Morrígan and Bridget wanting to kick that goddess' ass because of it. She didn't even know she had so much courage. It felt very different from the other times she stood up in some else's defense. She always felt like she needed to fight when someone was in trouble but when she had the spear in her hands, Jack was pushed to the ground, and the Morrígan prepared to take away the Treasures, something ignited inside her. It was similar to the feeling of when she brought her fire out. That revelation worried Bridget. If the fight had not gone the way she wanted it to then her firepowers would have indeed resurfaced and she would be forced to explain herself to the Guardians. She could almost feel their looks of disappointment and distrust on herself again. That was still something she didn't want, to be disowned from the very people she looked up to as a child. She was already abandoned by other people in her life she didn't want her friends to push her away.

Bridget felt the cart starting to move soon after everyone placed the treasures away and got in. She remained silent while North began to talk about their next plan of action.

"So," North started in an up-beat tone. "Stone at Tara isn't really stone of Fáil after all."

"I think the little light show we saw was meant to explain that to us." Jack said dryly.

"The big question is why it wasn't there?" Tooth speculated. "I'm guessing that one of the last of the Tuatha Dé Danann might've switched the rocks in case someone tried to steal it."

Bunny nodded. "I agree with that since the Scut mentioned something about the rock being in…what was the place she mentioned?"

"Kildare." Bridget answered. Like before all eyes looked at her and she soon felt uncomfortable. And her hand touched her other wrist to find once more that her bracelet wasn't there. She recovered by tugging at her braid instead. "The Morrígan said it in a whisper but I heard her clearly. She said the name of the place as Kildare."

North hummed in thought while pulling out the map and read over it. "Leetle Girl is right, Kildare is a location on map. It is both a county and village several miles from here."

"How many miles exactly?" Jack asked while attempting to look over North's shoulder to see the map.

"More than 50 miles." Came North's answer.

Bridget sighed. "That's even further than when we started." She rubbed her eyes in irritation. "And we just only have a week left before the winter solstice."

"How are we going to get there so fast?" Tooth asked North. "Surely Petrov can't travel the quickly to get us there."

The very moment Tooth doubted Petrov's abilities the reindeer huffed loudly. In a matter of seconds he began to speed from a gentle trot into a speedy gallop. The change of speed was so unexpected caused most of the passengers to fall on their backs and lean near the cart's edge.

North chuckled stridently while keeping his eyes on the grasslands before him. "First rule you must know about reindeer, Toothy. Never judge their true strength."

"Even- 'cuse me," Bridget apologized after climbing off of Nightlight. "Even with Petrov going Super-Reindeer it'll still be a while to get there."

"If you believe he can do it." North smiled at her.

Bridget tilted her head incredulously. "Are you saying all I need to do is chant, 'I believe, I believe, and I believe' over and-" Whatever she was going to say didn't matter to Petrov as moments later he started to go even faster than a gallop. He was going so fast that Bridget needed to cling on to someone as the speed became almost identical to the flight velocity when North's sleigh would fly, or at least that's how it felt like to Bridget. She had no idea hoe fast Petrov was truly going.

Over the wind North could be heard laughing in his crazy ex-Cossack manner. "That is vhat I vas telling earlier; True magic's power is from the belief of a child!"

Bridget was torn by North's possible compliment to her and the sudden memory of Ombric's first lesson to her.

_'What is the real power of magic?'_

"_Belief…was that it?" _Bridget felt something tug at her lips. _"That's magic's true power. Just believing, but that's so simple. It can't really…great now I'm sounding like all those fuddy-duddy teachers of mine. Could this be a sign I really am starting to grow up?"_

"Uhh, Bridget?" Her sudden mopping went away the moment she realized the situation she was in. The Troll of a moon had made fate draw Bridget into clutching her arm with Jack's. While his earlier tone sounded worried Jack held no expression of it on his face. He looked too amused to sound nervous. He rested his head on his palm while smiling Bridget lazily. His smile grew the moment Bridget started to go red and stuttered incoherently. She eventually muttered an apology, claiming it was all an accident, and removed herself from him. A pang of sadness soon struck the winter spirit. He missed her arm wrapped around his.

Tooth giggled at the exchanged while her Mini-fairies followed her example. Sandy gave Jack a thumb's up while Nightlight shook his head. Bunny muttered something about skirt chasing but said nothing else. North said nothing either but held a very smug look on his face and smiled directly at Petrov. A part of the Guardian of Wonder wondered if the newfound speed Petrov had brought himself to go was because of Bridget exclaiming her belief or if the deer wanted to tease the teenagers some more. Either way it got some interesting results.

"_Ah, to be young and full of confusion. I am glad I don't go through vith that anymore," _North thought to himself.

* * *

The magic of belief proved to be strong as Petrov continued running through half of the night. Once the stars began to twinkle like Nightlight's dagger was when North pulled the reins hard enough to pull Petrov into a slow canter and then to a complete stop. By that point in time the reindeer was nothing but exhausted from his dashing. Bridget awarded him with even more apples she found by some trees and water from a well nearby. The redhead was thrilled to finally get to taste well water again and started to become very energized from drinking it. For most of the night the Guardians did their best to keep **her **from pulling the cart.

"I only suggest that creating a tunnel system for you would make delivering gifts a whole lot easier." Bunny argued with North after he attempted to look over an old gift memo from the Yetis. It was becoming very clear that with each day closer to December twenty-fifth North was starting to get antsy. He had to be back before Christmas if he wanted to still have children believing in him.

North shook his head stubbornly. "Tunnels might be good for a Bunny-man but for me I stick vith sleigh."

"Your loss." Bunny rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the carrot soup he was slurping down.

After several days the Guardians and Bridget started to make a chart of which soups would and wouldn't be eaten. It was an idea Bridget came up with after she saw Jack and Bunny argue over what kind of soup each of them would prefer to have. Originally Bridget had thought that the soup could make more than one soup at the same time and asked for two different kinds to try it out. Instead, a huge rainbow of smells and colors covered the poor girl from head to toe. She needed a bath (and braid makeover) to get all of the radishes and cheese off of her. It was after that fiasco that everyone decided to not suggest more than one soup that led to some disputes over what could and couldn't be eaten. Bunny of course argued over having carrot soup would be better than the cold soup Jack had suggested. During their quarrel, and some much-needed artistic help from Sandy, Bridget showed everyone a chart that listed the soups that could be eaten during mealtime. The chart was designed so that everyone would have his or her favorite soup and rotate for someone else's during the nest meal. The idea worked well enough that everyone adopted the idea and Bridget was praised for her imaginative suggestion.

"I think North has it right," Jack leaned on a rock while waiting for his carrot soup (Bunny was going to tease him for it until Jack silenced him with a picture none of the others were able to look at. The pooka was silenced for the first time and said nothing else to Jack after that. The winter spirit winked at Bridget who knowingly smiled but said nothing either) to cool down. "Flying is the way to go. I'm sure everybody else here agrees with me."

Tooth giggled before she fluttered her wings. Sandy smiled proudly as he took another helping of soup. Nightlight smiled humbly before he looked at the sky, ignoring the groaning from Bunny. Bridget arched an eyebrow before looking at where his eyes trailed off. Her eyes cringed slightly until she spotted a familiar cluster of stars. During her time of learning how to use her eyes Ombric was more than kind enough to show her the wonders of astronomy. He spent the very few nights with her showing the few constellations that could be seen in Santoff Claussen. Some were the few Atlantean star assemblages that still existed while showing her the more familiar ones that the Greeks and Romans came up with and even the Celts and Norse no less.

There was one constellation that Nightlight was peering at the most with a heartfelt mien on him.

"_Cygnus." _Bridget immediately understood the meaning behind that grouping. The swan must have reminded Nightlight of a certain person with a giant flying goose. It may have not been a swan but _Mother Swan_ never had much of a ring to it as Mother Goose did anyway.

The redhead smiled slightly while giving Nightlight a sympathetic look. It had to have been hard for him missing someone he was close to. A part of her wondered what Katherine was really like? If Bridget did share some similarities with her it made her wonder what else they shared in common. She almost wanted to ask Nightlight that question but decided it would be impolite since he obviously missed her and didn't want her to be brought up. Instead patted Nightlight's shoulder before giving him a reassuring smile.

"_We so close to the next step. Once we get that Torch of Light or whatever we'll being seeing light at the end of the tunnel."_

Bridget stared at the moon, its glowing light a beacon during their darkest moments. With her newfound eyesight Bridget had seen the moon change shape over the past few weeks and now saw it nearing into a full moon. On her best guess Bridget reckoned that the moon would reach it's full-ness by the Twenty-first of December. A full moon on the day they would all confront a certain goddess and the day marking the tenth anniversary of when she was founded. Bridget frowned when she thought of that because she knew on that day everything would probably change.

It was the day she would turn 18. For the rest of the night while everyone (minus Nightlight) slept Bridget remained awake while silently praying to the Man in the Moon if there was ever a chance for her to stay young forever. The cold words from Mother Nature swarm through her head which made it difficult for her to sleep as well (that and drinking all that well water wasn't much of a help either).

"_I can't just stop seeing the Guardians after I turn 18. I don't want to be alone anymore. Please let me still see them after that day. I can't be alone again. I just can't. It's selfish but I just don't want to lose anyone again."_

Somehow that last part made Bridget feel like she had said that before as she started to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

_**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!**_

**Q-A: **O-O If that is the closest I am to writing angst than damn! But it won't be the last you'll see of it in this story. In, perhaps, a few chapters later on it will happen and due to a very horrible reason… :( I am in a dark mood apparently. Probably because I'll be gone for like a week! I have a family reunion I'm going for the 4th of July and I'm very excited about going! :D I hate that I have to leave you all hanging again but trust me when I say it'll most likely be the last HUGE thing to happen for me this summer. I promise. ;)

Have a good Independence Day incase I can't write on that week.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'

_**P.S.**_

Aussie Salute – brushing flies away. XD I love that I couldn't help myself with the whole Fáil and rhyming it with Fail. XP It probably doesn't even sound like the other but I really couldn't help it! XD


	28. Don You Believe In

**Q-A: **Here's chapter 28! It's shocking how far we've gotten sense the beginning of this story huh? It won't be long until the end comes. Well depending on how fast I can update. XD

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Rise of the Guardians…if I did I would have STILL done a batter job at the marketing than whoever else did it…. and I would make a RotG/HTTYD crossover special or movie. XDDD We all want to see it, don't deny it. I have much knowledge of both franchises since I own both 'The Art of' books of both movies now! :D

* * *

_~Do You Believe In…~_

For all the moments Bridget wanted to kill herself she started to think this was the most important…. Not that she contemplated suicide in the past, but if you were a person who felt like you were being under challenged you would feel for Bridget.

"And the letter 'A' stands for…." Tooth trailed off, waiting expectantly for the other girl to finish.

Bridget breathed out which purposely sounded like a sigh. She looked at the card in front of her which had the word that started with the letter 'A' and a picture of a specific insect. "Ant."

Tooth smiled at Bridget and nodded approvingly. "Very good. Jack wasn't exaggerating when he said you were doing well on your reading."

"Probably because I learned the alphabet pretty well when he and I first started." Bridget muttered under her breath. She immediately regretted uttering those words, fearing Tooth may have heard her.

Luckily for her, Tooth either didn't pay any heed to it or had not heard Bridget's whispering.

Tooth meant well with sparing her time to assist Bridget with learning her letters since Jack wasn't currently there to help her, it made her mad thinking about it. For one reason or another Jack decided to play role reversal again with him being the one avoiding Bridget. He always had some excuse every morning after breakfast that he was too busy with something else. She tried asking what it was but he said he couldn't reveal it yet like it was all some big surprise. Bridget personally thought that she had enough surprises to last her a lifetime. But that wasn't the only thing that annoyed her because she knew and Jack knew that half of the private reading classes was secretly practice time over her firepowers. By the time the gang had arrived ten miles from Kildare, Bridget was already able to form a fire into a ball willingly.

Even if the fireball wasn't as impressive as a human figure it was still an improvement from her earlier stages of development. Even with a fireball formed in her palms Bridget still felt like it wasn't enough to fight off a bad guy, if Jack was still around she would have most likely gotten further ahead in her abilities and with the group being closer toward their goal than ever before made Bridget more worried. The last thing she wanted was to screw-up like on the last mission. She obviously made some serious damage on the non-Stone of Fáil and people would notice and talk. A sudden chill covered Bridget's lower back. She knew from experience of when people would talk **after** she caused something terrible to happen.

For one second Toothiana noticed a slight shift of discomfort in Bridget. Being able to read people like the way she did made Tooth proud, but not enough to let that pride go to her head mind you. She only thought of this because for that one moment Bridget looked unhappy. A pang of guilt swelled in the Fairy Queen.

"_I hope she's not still upset over the Stone being destroyed." _Tooth thought worriedly. Bridget had indeed looked distressful after they set up camp the day after they started the trek to Kildare. The redhead went into a slight blather about how she destroyed a priceless artifact of the Irish nationality and that people would question while a pile of rubble was where the rock should have been. It took both Tooth and Jack to convince Bridget that she had only fought in self-defense and did not slice the stone intentionally. She had to jerk a glance or two at North and Bunny for them to quickly agree their words that it wasn't the redhead's fault. Sandy and Nightlight were able to pick up Tooth's mannerisms a lot better and affirmed that they too believed Bridget did not intend to harm a national treasure.

Somehow that part may have been over-thought a little bit more than it should have been, Tooth viewed. She started to look at Bridget a little more clearly and had a better theory as to why the girl seemed depressed.

"I'm guessing you would rather look at a card that was written 'A is for Apple,' wouldn't you?" It was practically second nature for everyone in the group to know that there were two things in the world that Bridget apparently enjoyed consuming; well water and the aforementioned, apples.

Bridget barely looked up fro the ground as she idly pulled at a weed.

A soft smile played on Tooth's features as she decided to place the cards away, much to Bridget's slight confusion and thus gaining her attention. "All right, what's on your mind?"

Again Bridget shrugged. "Nothing." She didn't really wish to saddle Tooth with more angst.

Tooth lazily crossed her arms, the Mini-fairies that were on her shoulders mimicked the motion. "That's not a proper answer, Wisdom Tooth."

Bridget scowled momentarily. As much as she liked the nickname she was starting to get annoyed with the tone Tooth was using it for. No matter what it made Bridget have a hard time of saying no to her, the same thing happened with Bunny too when he called her a Big Ankle-biter warningly sometimes. It was probably a good thing Jack didn't have a nickname for her yet or she would be whipped a lot easier. The thought of Jack made Bridget mentally sigh. Besides maybe Tooth, he was one of the few people she opened up to the most. Bridget had a lot of things in her chest at the moment and needed to spill them out soon but wasn't so sure telling Tooth about them was a good idea.

"I guess…." Bridget paused, trying to find the right words that weren't too revealing. "I just have a lot on my mind lately. This whole thing is a mess. I got an injured leg on Day One, attacked by a hormone-driven teenager, bargained with a short angry man, help stole two priceless artifacts in one day and then went on a hay-ride driven by a former Cossack." She pinched the bridge of her nose as she started to feel a headache coming around. "And let us not forget the events of the other night."

Tooth squeezed Bridget's shoulder in comfort. "I'm sure you didn't mean to do that on purpose. The stone was very old anyways. Even without your help it would've tumbled and fall."

Bridget almost smiled. Almost. "Yeah, well I've always been known to make something bad happen unintentionally." She immediately bit her tongue in distress; she just had to say that last part to Tooth. The redhead was waiting for a questioning reply when she felt something cold on her shoulder. She opened an eye and saw that Sal was on her shoulder with his usual blank expression. Bridget couldn't help but laugh, mostly out of the fact that she knew there was more to him than meets the eye like there was for her… and the Guardians too.

Tooth kept her hand on Bridget's shoulder until she placed it near her cheek and motioned the girl to look at her. "We've all made mistakes in the past, Bridget. Don't think you're the only one who has."

Bridget felt comforted like a child by her mother but frowned at the comparison. Yeah like she would get adopted by someone as kind and caring as Tooth, or the rest of the Guardians for that matter. "I guess I just make a lot more than most people."

"All teenagers feel that way in one point or another." Tooth smiled a knowing smile. "Trust me I was once in a awkward stage of development as the rest of the world's population."

Bridget gave her a blank look. _"Yeah but it wasn't like the rest of the world were fairy human/hummingbird hybrids like you are."_

"Trust me Wisdom Tooth when I say you aren't alone here. We're all worried for what is to come."

"I know that." Bridget smiled. "Jack already told me that. He said that I have him and you guys." The redhead felt like she was waiting on bated breath. Jack had insisted he was going to look after her but something nagged insider her asking was the rest of the group like that? One part wanted to scream out yes but the other half from her old, pessimistic self wanted to say that was never going to happen and that she should just be grateful she even had what she would consider as friends and nothing more.

"I think we should stop today." Tooth finalized with seeing that Bridget wasn't up to continue.

"Are you sure?" Bridget felt a little relieved and sadden at the same time. She didn't want to make Tooth think she was being lazy and that the fairy should call recess for her sake.

Tooth nodded sincerely. "I am." She made a 'shooing' gesture with her hands, enticing Bridget to leave. "You need some alone time. Your mind is too foggy to focus right now."

Bridget looked at Tooth, trying to read any signs of denial in case the Guardian was lying. No such signs were seen. With one last look Bridget stretched her face wide enough for a smile and waved at Tooth before walking along a trail near the field they were camping in that night. One more day and they would soon be near the borders of Kildare.

Tooth watched with vigil over the bobbing redhead who traveled the opposite direction of the setting sun. Once Bridget's form could no longer by seen Tooth titled her head another direction.

"All right she's gone, we can talk altogether now." In a matter of seconds a few bodies of unusual shape emerged from the tall grass.

Nicholas St. North towered over the half-golden and frozen grass clumsily as his large feet wasn't use to not knowing where they were going. Sanderson Mansnoozie jumped out moments after North with the appearance of escaping a maze. The poor little man must've been so lost and confused when he left for the call. Edmund Aster Bunnymund had worse problems with being tinier than the golden man, much to the pooka's frustration. Nightlight was tall enough to see over the grass that almost reached his shoulders. He had it a little more easily with the use of his staff to push some of the stubborn weeds away.

"Glad you could come." Tooth spoke while trying to get up. North raised a hand, insisting Tooth to stay put, which she gladly accepted. "Sorry about the grass. I guess I should've tried to come over to the cart instead of the other way around."

"No worries, Tooth," Bunny spoke kindly, his green eyes twinkled at her. "We all agreed to talk around once the Big Ankle-biter left."

"I dislike that ve must talk of her backside." North sighed, clearly oblivious to the fact that he ruined another saying. "Leetle Girl vould not like us keeping secrets from her."

"She'd hate it even more if Jack was on this whole bizzo too," Bunny agreed while scratching his ears. "But like the other meetings he's not anywhere in sight. Who knows where that show pony is."

Tooth gave Bunny a warning look before placing her attention back to the others. "We need to discuss about what we all saw the other night."

North nodded wholeheartedly. "Yes, vhat ve saw vith Bridget can **not** be viped clean of the slate." His black-brown eyebrows furrowed into a 'v'. "She knows how to fight and very vell I might add."

"What she did back there wasn't what I or North taught her that's for sure. She practically bailed up on the Scut with just using her spear. Even if the Morrígan's not at full strength that's still bloody impressive."

Sandy widened his eyes in feigned shock after hearing the great master of Tai Chi. "Yeah, Sandy I admit that someone can hold their ground." Bunny rolled his eyes after his sarcastic remark. "Bridget acted like a whole different person when she fought."

"That's why I brought this meeting together." Tooth chirped in. "When I watched her fighting, Bridget looked like a different person than the normally sweet, quirky girl we're use to seeing."

North rose one brow, taking in what Tooth had spoken. "You are not suggesting you think our leetle girl is…" He purposely trailed off for the others to understand what he was implying.

Tooth widened her eyes in deep shock. "NO!" The shout was loud enough that the Mini-fairies on her shoulders nearly fell off. She quickly covered her mouth as her feathers quivered. "I mean, no. Bridget has nothing wrong with her. She is a normal child like the rest of the world's population." Realizing how exaggerated that sounded Tooth quickly added. "Well even if she had something that made her… different our Wisdom Tooth would've told us straight away."

"Like she did with her injured leg?" Bunny reminded Tooth about the injury on Bridget that only just finally healed after several days. "Trust me, teenagers never tell an adult what's up. You might as well go looking for a bunyip; it's impossible to get the deadest from an adolescent."

North chuckled heartily for once and quickly corrected Bunny by saying that bunyips were indeed real since he saw one personally on his last trip through Australia. Bunny countered that statement, raving that North didn't know a Koala Bear from a 'Roo.

Nightlight gave Sandy a look with deep consideration. Moments later the duo stood up from where they had sat and the spectral boy flicked his dagger with his thumbnail, creating a tuning fork out of the metal. The clamor resonated loud enough to silence the pooka and former Cossack.

Sandy nodded to Nightlight, giving his thanks before turning his attention back to the others. He took out the journal and began to scribble down feverishly. The others watched on with patience. They knew their silent friend must have had something important to say and were willing to wait and see. After a few word crossings and much needed editing Sandy handed the journal over for everyone else to read. Their eyes were once again graced with his cursive handwriting.

We can all agree that Bridget has a few unusual quirks but could it really say that she is hiding something? If she does have something to share we will just have to wait for when she is ready to speak- Tooth spoke her agreement at this before she continued reading with the others –her mind. And if she doesn't, well then we need to believe in her as much as she does for us. May I remind you that Bridget was the one that got us out of our slumps back near the cliffs and stood up to the Morrígan to defend us for our sake. The same thing happened two nights ago. Are we to judge her for the acts she committed or the reasons behind them?

Bridget fought bravely for us and that's all that matters in my book. We can discuss the unimportant matters of Bridget's newfound abilities when this is all over. Right now we should focus on will happen in a few days time. Three days before the winter solstice is all we have left.

The last sentence left a mark on the others. What the Sandman wrote did leave a lot to mull over for the others. Why had they reacted to Bridget's bravery so strongly? Was it because they felt sadden there was nothing they could do to aid the girl? Were they curious as to how she was able to stand up to the Goddess of Death? Many questions swarmed in their heads so much that Tooth needed to place a hand on her head with the others in similar manners.

"Sandy," North spoke up after a few minutes later. "You are right. Vhile ve not know all of who Leetle Girl is, right now is she a child who believes in us vith a very brave heart. Ve cannot have vorries of who she is and vhat she vill do. Bridget says she vill help us so I believe that."

Tooth nodded eagerly. "I believe that too. Even though I am worried over her well being Bridget has shown in the past to be capable of handling herself in a fight when it was needed. Someday she might become more comfortable with herself and we'll be there for her when wishes to speak to us."

Bunny wrinkled his nose once before he spoke. "While I'm not a fan of just waiting around I'll make the exception for the Big Ankle-biter's sake. If she does have something to hide I can wait until she wants to talk."

Nightlight nodded. He wanted to understand Bridget a lot better but he deemed that if she wanted to explain how she learned to fight with a spear so well it would be on her own time and when she felt ready. A part of him and the other Guardians did not show too much protest of **how **long they needed to wait. It was one of the unexpected perks of being immortal. They could wait as long as they liked.

* * *

Bridget started to have dark thoughts again. Instead of it involving bodily harm to herself or to others she was mostly berating herself for the rotten week she was having.

"_Why must the moon but such a jerk and give me all these problems to deal with?" _

She then corrected herself by silently admitting that calling the moon a jerk would be a bad idea. The last thing Bridget wanted was for another magical being to be angry with her. Bridget absentmindedly kicked a pebble over the pathway in front of her and continued walking through the field. With the sun already gone and twilight slowly being replaced by total darkness of the night. Evenings were coming closer and closer as each day passed, if it wasn't for their abilities to read the sun's movements or the stars, the Guardians would have had trouble figuring out when it was the right time to camp out then continue to move.

A part of Bridget was grateful for the Guardians being around, the darkness felt less frightening and did not scare her as much. It made her want even harder with keeping her eyesight; she never wished to go back to that bleak darkness again. If she was back in the dark how could she protect herself and those she loved?

"_Maybe I'll go ninja crazy like I did the other day." _Bridget thought ruefully. She still had not forgotten about her time at the hill. Bridget was still trying to get a grip over what had happened but she could not understand it. She wanted to tear down the sky and leave every stone turned to find out the meaning behind her problem. The redhead even looked at the sky as she thought of this and sighed sadly.

"_Why can't Jack be around when I need him? He's always around when I don't" _

Bridget wanted the winter spirit more than ever to be with her but she had no such luck of finding him. If he been gone since lunch he might have traveled further than she realized. She really hoped this wouldn't turn into a rescue mission looking for Jack Frost now.

A sudden thought treaded her mind. _"When did I become so obsessed with Jack?" _

Bridget placed her hands on her hips as she thought of this even further. _"Almost a month ago I didn't even think about guys and now here I am getting all sad with one guy not being around. I am NOT a needy person and I won't keep up with this behavior… yep I will knock it off. After I find him __**then **__I'll become my normal self again…whatever that is anyway." _Bridget sighed.

Cold winds soon blew around her making the girl shiver uncomfortably. It was almost like the feeling of when she encountered the Morrígan back at the hill. While Bridget had thought the woman made of black feathers was frightening, the truer form was a nightmare.

From shoulders to toe the goddess wore a dress made entirely out of crow feathers that appeared sleeked when in the moonlight and completely covered her legs and feet that pooled around her like dripping poisoned ink. Around her waist was a golden belt that was tied with an emerald brooch in the similar fashion on the spear and sword's hilts. On her left hand the Morrígan had long yellow talons that Bridget had almost mistaken for knives. Her hair was a dark brown that almost appeared black (the black feathers weaved in her hair did not help much with the coloring at all) with a black covering over her head that reminded Bridget of medieval headdresses.

And her skin… oh by the Moon it was horrible to describe. Ever since she saw her reflection back at Santoff Claussen Bridget thought her skin looked bad but after seeing the Morrígan's, she was having some second thoughts. The Morrígan's skin was chalk white that was almost yellow like the color off of a corpse. Her eyes didn't add much to her scowling expression either; they were blood red that looked like they were ready to bleed without a moment's notice. Everything about her appearance screamed heartless maniac with apathetic feelings of little remorse. But there was something in her eyes that made the goddess look like she was in some sort of pain, possibly due to the fact she had not much power in her or something else Bridget wasn't truly certain. All she knew and cared was that if the Morrígan did gain enough power by December twenty-first everything good in the world would be gone and no amount of belief or pep talks would do anything to save it.

She really wished Jack were around for her to talk to.

Bridget sighed once more. She looked up to the sky and stared directly at the moon, which had became a frequent pastime for her just as much as watching the sun rise, and looked upon the glowing orb with sadness.

"If there is something I'm doing badly that made me act the way I did before could you give me a sign?" Bridget swallowed a lump in her throat while distractedly pulling at her hair. "Jack said you don't talk to anyone, but you have to know why you brought me here to help the Guardians. Is it because of my powers, brains, or the fact that I am the only teenager who still believes." In an almost tearful manner Bridget quivered her lower lip and nearly adverted her gaze from the moon before she tried to remain composed.

When she heard nothing but silence a part of her felt crushed by rejection and another desired to ask one question that she was always desperate to know. "If I was chosen for this quest based on my skills or talents does this mean I'll go back to the way I was when this is all over? Will I just remain an orphan and not never know if I am wanted or not?"

"….Personally, I think your wanted." The voice of a familiar being spoke. Bridget turned to see Jack standing a few feet away with his crooked staff hidden behind his back. It wasn't exactly hidden since he was holding it horizontally which made it very easy to spot the staff. Jack titled his head and gave Bridget a small smile. In return Bridget threw a grin of her own but was more restraint.

"_I should be mad at you buster. It's not like you told me where you were going all this time." _Bridget remembered and then started to pout. She even turned her head away from Jack's direction and crossed her arms.

Jack noticed this behavior and asked, "Okay I can see that your mad at something I did."

Bridget shrugged her shoulders, feigning innocence. "I have no idea what you are talking about." She heard footsteps behind but still refused to turn around.

"C'mon," Jack drawled out and tentatively placed a hand on Bridget's shoulder. "What's wrong?" He eyed her in slight concern when he realized that she didn't bother looking his way. "Why are you ignoring me?"

"_Hmm, I don't know maybe because you've been ignoring me?" _Bridget thought impatiently but decided not to speak out. She attempted to swat Jack's hand away that only led his grip on her to strengthen slightly.

"Please," his voice tone pleaded almost. Bridget tried very hard to avoid direct eye contact knowing very well that gazing into Jack's eyes would be her downfall. She inched away from him before she bended down and ducked away from Jack's grasp.

Quickly Bridget made a mad dash from where she came. She sprinted for a few yards until her guilty conscience gave in and turned her to look back. Her heart skipped a plethora of beats when she saw Jack still standing there. She couldn't see his face but she had a feeling it was forlorn. Bridget almost took a step back before the previous pain from rejection filled inside her and she looked away.

"_I can't deal with this right now." _Bridget tried pathetically to reassure herself. After walking to where the sleigh was and plopped into her sleeping bag and removing her glasses Bridget pretended to be asleep while the others walked over to sleep as well. She kept one eye open as she watched each familiar body find their own spots to rest and lie down for the night. The last form she gazed at was Jack. She kept her eyes squinted enough to look like she was sleeping but wide enough for her to see him. Much to her surprise Jack didn't try walking to where she lay and instead furthest away from her. He lied down with his back turned from her and partially curled into a ball as if he was seeking body heat. Just like before Bridget had a feeling that Jack didn't have a happy mien.

For the remainder of the night Bridget found it very hard to sleep.

* * *

"_I really wish I knew what was wrong." _Jack sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that evening, or for that day counting the un-success he had. As much as he hated avoiding Bridget like a colonial plague he really had not much of a choice.

For a long while Jack noticed that Bridget wasn't acting like her usual self as of late. All she wanted to do was spend time training, training, and some training, with a pinch of extra training if things got too boring. Jack didn't want to sound like he didn't understand the reason behind it; she wanted to get stronger when the final battle would come. He only wished that he wasn't seeing her looking like she was going to pass out after every practice. The others may have not been able to see it but Jack did. He saw through her fake smiles and gestures to show she was fine. Those were the same mannerisms he did in the past to himself when dealing with being invisible and having no believers. Something needed to be done to get her happy again.

After much thinking and consideration Jack eventually came up with an idea. The idea itself felt harebrained and crazy at best but he figured it couldn't be the worst plan he came up with. For the most part Jack felt like he had a good set up since he had what was needed to start the first phase of the plan, the problem for him was he **still **didn't have what he needed. The only problem he saw with this was that Bridget was now avoiding him, but he understood why she was acting like that. A part of him wished that she did explain why she was upset, which would lead him to explaining that he wanted to surprise her. She would no longer be upset and would ask excitedly what the surprise was. Jack would smirk playfully and reply that if he told her then there would be no surprise. She then would pout adorably and say how unfair that was. Jack wouldn't be paying attention to what she said and instead lean his face in until their lips were only a few centimeters apart and-

"_Whoa there," _Jack berated himself. _"I can't think of stuff like that. Wait until the Big Day." _

The 'Big Day' was another part of the surprise Jack had in store for Bridget. On that day he would give her something that he knew she wanted very much and a wonderful gift. It, unfortunately, wasn't the definitive gift Bridget truly wanted out of everything else but he decided to make do with what he had… or what he hoped to have by the next few days.

"_I just hope it won't be too late by the time I __**do **__finally get it." _Jack thought wistfully before he began to drift off.

* * *

The night passed on without one event to set it off. Morning came and went the same way as the group traveled steadfastly toward their destination. North was pleased to announce that they were to reach the town of Kildare by late afternoon. Many excited outbursts came from the group after hearing the news; they were all one-step closer to their goal!

Bridget smiled from hearing the news but remained the only one being quiet. _"I shouldn't have been so hard on Jack last night." _She sighed silently. _"He had to have had a good reason for not being around that often. The others seemed use to not seeing much of him. I should be the same. I sound like I'm being too needy and that is not the sort of person I am… still wish I knew what the sort of person I'm supposed to be though." _Her gray eyes glanced halfway toward Jack's direction and saw that he was laughing at whatever Tooth and Bunny said to him.

"_Yeah, he sure looks tortured as I am right now." _The sarcasm was obvious in Bridget's thoughts. _"For all I know he probably brushed it off, he's a tough guy like that." _ She smiled slightly at that thought and resumed looking at the pastures and treeless fields passing by the cart.

* * *

Jack was torn in many ways too many. He was glad how far North and Petrov was getting the group to the village, he was happy to see Bunny and Tooth on batter terms again, and he even started to see Nightlight as a genuine friend and confidant like Sandy has been to him since the beginning…. But there was another part that made him feel depressed. They were so close to where the last treasure was (hopefully and/or probably) but still had no idea where it was. The Morrígan was getting stronger by each day and would become unstoppable by the winter solstice by whatever means of power and speaking of power the group didn't know where that torch-thing was **and **where the children were being hidden **AND **Bridget still looked unhappy.

Was anything ever going to go right for Jack for once? Couldn't he just have things be nice and good longer than eight months? Why must bad guys always target the most vulnerable beings out there? These questions swarmed around Jack's mind similar to how the other Guardians felt about Bridget, something that he still did not know yet about but made a good comparison nevertheless.

"_Some teenagers have to deal with hormones or collage at my physical age but not me! I'm excluded from all that icky stuff just to do all the things that could kill a adolescent before the first hour." _Jack thought bitterly while pretending to whittle out a smile for everyone to see. Nope, he was going to be fun and merry, that's what Guardians were supposed to be. He decided to put his attention towards something less thought pressing and stared down at the moving earth before him. The tiny trace of a frown soon appeared on his face.

"_Yes this is a great idea, staring at the snowless ground proves just how well I am at my job. For all I know half of the western hemisphere is still in autumn."_

* * *

Bridget couldn't see Jack's face anymore when he leaned toward the other side. He probably got bored of the others talking and was looking at the moving ground to entertain himself. She had to admire his ability to be amused by the slightest object. Unlike her who would just get plain distracted, sometimes Bridget felt her attention span was worse than a child's. At least they knew when it was time to focus on one thing Bridget apparently needed the help from a mystical spear. What next? A magic penguin with the perfect recipe for waffles?

Bridget frowned with worry. _"My mind goes into some trippy situations." _

"How much further until Kildare?" Jack asked a little while later with the air of impatience in his tone.

"Not too long," North promised. His blue eyes usually filled with wonder were widening in joy and relief. "Not to long from now." He pulled at Petrov's reins to make a direct left toward a road where a sign was. With a clap of his hands North soon got the other's attention. "May I present to you, Kildare village."

Bridget had to move her head over from where North's spread arms in order to see what the former Bandit King was expressing towards. Much to her surprise and excitement Bridget could see less than a mile away a relatively medium sized village was spread around with trees and quaint looking homes that reminded her of every other village they had come across in the past few weeks. The only thing that made this village different was there was a river and large tracks of green plains nearby.

"Velcome to Kildare the town," North announced with a flourish of his hand. "Part of Leinster province and vithin the Kildare County."

"Whoa," Jack immediately perked up. "Am I the only one seeing a tower over there?"

Bridget squinted her eyes but indeed see what Jack pointed to. Her eyes widened in amazement. She was looking at her first tower and part of a church no less!

"Oh~! I forgot about the Japanese garden they have here." Tooth smiled. "My fairies told me it's very lovely. Though I do wonder where they get the time to visit it." She eyed her Mini-fairies in question who in return smiled sheepishly before looking at the ground.

Bridget tried to crane her neck to see the garden but found nothing. Expect she did spy something unusual. In another direction she spotted a square shaped stone building with what appeared to be a graveyard in front of it. She shivered while looking at the tombstones momentarily; she never did like the things that went bump in the night. Not too far from that place was a small clearing of some sort. She couldn't see it clear enough but could tell there was some sort of well near there. Her thirst for water soon became obvious as she stared at the spot. Every time she drank from a well she always felt rejuvenated in some way. Something about that well made her want to go to it even more. It was probably the thirst talking.

Bridget stopped being unfocused long enough to have seen a flash of light by the water. For a mere moment she swore she saw something flicker by it, like there was some kind of movement near what appeared to be an arch. Her thoughts went away when the pooka began to speak.

"It sure is a large place." Bunny mused a moment later. He took a large gulp of are before saying, "How do you think a rock is hidden there?"

North shrugged. "Ve vill find out once ve get there."

"And where are we going to stay exactly?" Jack asked with open curiosity. "It might be a bit trickier to hide here than in the other places we were at."

North sighed while rubbing his hidden chin. "Leetle Girl." Bridget looked up toward North's direction. "Yes?"

"Take reins." North patted the empty spot beside him and inclined her to sit there. Bridget's eyebrows vanished to her bangs. "Seriously?"

"I am serious," North said toward her and the other gaping Guardians. North fought the urge to roll his eyes at their behavior. "Leetle Girl is only one visible. Having me still at reins vill look strange to by's who are passing, Leetle Girl must lead Petrov around until a spot to rest is found." He glanced at Bridget and then asked in a gentler tone. "Are you ready?"

Bridget bit her lower lip but nodded. This time she wasn't going to crash a vehicle since the she was in now couldn't fly. She sat over to where North was and took the reins from his large hands. She had done this before, she told herself. With a snap from the wrist she encouraged Petrov to move on a bit more. She smiled in relief that he didn't charge like maniac when she did the whole 'I believe' chant.

North smiled as well and gave Bridget a comforting nudge on the shoulder. "Someone must have been vatching my driving."

"Or someone remembered the time she drove during that Christmas parade in Dublin." Bridget replied back without removing her eyes from the road.

North chuckled. "So I see." The usual smile he held when he had an idea came back on his face. He was smiling a lot of knowing smiles as of late even if the others didn't noticed.

Bridget glanced around at the charming cottage-styled homes she passed by and gave cheery waves toward people who gawked at her.

"You seem to have gotten use to people watching you." Tooth observed. Bridget shrugged her shoulders, which to an elderly man carrying groceries appeared to be her simply stretching. She waved at him heartily and he waved back with an amused expression. "The people here are really… nice, even if they are giving Petrov and me funny looks." She smiled at the last part.

"Well how many reindeer do you see traveling along an Irish road?" Jack asked. Bridget felt the pang of guilt again but decided to shrug her shoulders. She soon realized that even though the adults in the town couldn't see the Guardians, the children would most likely be able to see them so she quickly told her friends to cover themselves with the familiar blanket.

"Good thinkin' ya Big Ankle-biter." Bunny responded through the fabric making some of his words muffled.

Bridget was ready to respond when she saw something again. Only this time it was a lot more realistic.

"Why don't you jus' go?"

"I'm not doing anything wrong."

"We don't want you here, ya little crybaby."

"I'm not a crybaby!" The voice cried out. Bridget heard enough when she pulled on the reins and got out of the cart.

"Uh, Bridget what are you doing?" Tooth call underneath the cloth.

Bunny pushed his head through the sheet and sighed in annoyance and answered for the human. "Off to do something reckless."

"Hey you heard what those kids were saying to that one girl. They were picking on her." Jack replied in Bridget's defense. He was still not a fan of bullies.

"But this still cutting us back on time." North pointed out. "Ve can't take a detour every time is threatened by normal problems."

"What so normal about bullying!" Jack whispered after remembering the situation they were still in. "It's become a huge problem for kids all over the place. How many times do you think Bridget might've had to defend Jamie and his friends over the summer while I was away." He wasn't very happy about not being able to protect the children from Burgess. "Obviously Bridget's feeling the same way she did then and feeling it now."

"While you do have a point Jack, I do have to agree with North." Tooth said softly. "We need to find the stone."

"And we will." Bridget spoke up as she adjusted her glasses. She held a determined look while preparing to walk into the small park where the bullying was taking place. "But if there is one thing I learned from you guys is that everyone needs a Guardian. While I may not have… the same magic you do, I do have something great within me." She turned her head behind them and gave the unseen immortals a toothy smile. "And that's clearing up a fight between kids." With that said she sprinted away.

Some scribbling could be heard inside the cart before some chuckling was also heard later on. "You are right, Nightlight. Leetle Girl is tougher than she looks."

"You have no idea." Jack muttered under his breath.

* * *

Bridget had to admit that she really had no idea how to deal with the situation. All she knew from the moment she heard that one girl crying was when something needed to be done. The redhead had made sure to park the cart far from the road they were on so it wouldn't attract unwanted attention but close enough so that she didn't have to hurry too far away. Bridget decided the best way to analyze the situation was to keep herself hidden from the confronters and confrontee as humanly possible. The last thing she wanted to do was to make a scene before she understood the circumstances behind the bulling a lot better. After all, the two who were taunting the poor girl probably had some issues of their own or it was all based on a misunderstanding.

"Crybabies like you don't belong here, so go cry home to your mummy. Oh, that's right you don't have one. Just a wrinkly old prune for a crone-I mean-grandma."

Or they were just downright jerks.

There went the previous idea. Bridget inched herself toward some bushes and crouched down so she couldn't be seen. The sight before her was very unforgiving. Two older looking girls towered over a smaller girl with her head bowed down. Bridget could see small tears glistening and preparing to fall thanks to her glasses.

"I-I love my granny, stop talking about how bad she is. She's not!" The little snorted slightly as if she were trying not to let snot drip out of her nose. The other girls noticed this.

"Well I guess Snotty here has a point." One girl feigned innocence. "Her granny isn't a crone, just plain mental!" Laughter erupted from both of the taller girls.

In one fell swoop Bridget ungracefully pushed through the bushes and fell head first onto the pebbled ground. She almost opened her mouth to spit colorful words that would make Bunny blush but remembered where she was and the kind of people she was literally stumbling upon. The pain of failing did not faze Bridget as much as it use to in to the past. Thanks to all the training with Bunny and North, she was able to hold a few kinds of pain. The pain of falling on small rocks did not affect her, sadly her glasses did not agree with her on that accordance.

Bridget let out a breathless gasped when she saw a slight crack in her right eye's vision. It was a huge crack from what she could tell but if she did try to remove the glasses to get a better look it wouldn't work so well for her. She wanted to jump up and leave the girls and head back to the Guardians…. but. Bridget saw with what little vision she had that the girl, who was crying only a minute ago, looked so helpless and scared. Bridget wasn't sure if the girl was scared because of the bullies or by her unexpected arrival but she knew something needed to be done. She saw the girl like she saw herself. A person alone, frightened with no one to call out to for help (later on Bridget would realize that the girl most likely could've called some responsible adult but probably didn't because she was frightened) and thinking no one was there for her.

With a gasp of air in her lungs Bridget used her twig-like arms to pull herself up and brushed whatever stones were stuck on her off. She adjusted her glasses, pretending that the crack did not worry her, and then glanced at the younger children before her.

"_They sure have a lot of blondes and black-haired girls here in Ireland, don't they?" _ The two bullying girls before Bridget were what she expected snobbish girls to be like. One was tall and skinny with blond hair tied in a ponytail and striking blue eyes. She wore a white coat that looked close enough to be designer with blue jeans. The other one was roughly the same height as the blonde but with distinctively different features for her appearance. Her hair was black in a braid while her eyes were deep green. Bridget swallowed. Memories of her pal Olivia from Wexford swam into her mind. The non-Olivia girl had a brown sweater on with striking red pants. Clearly both of these young ladies weren't afraid to stand out in a crowd while looking stylish. Bridget tried very hard not to smile or laugh.

"So," Bridget drawled out after wiping herself clean. "Lovely day to be out and playing huh?"

The blonde arched an eyebrow at her with a clear expression asking, 'Is she for real?'

The black haired girl didn't look all that interested and idly picked at her nails.

The smaller girl that Bridget finally looked at was trembling like a leaf. Bridget couldn't see the girl's face with her auburn bangs covering them but did see little freckles sprinkled around her nose and cheeks like pepper. Her frame was small and much skinnier than the other girls looking like she hadn't eaten much but not enough to look like she was starving.

Bridget decided to try the small talk again but this time toward the shivering girl. With a swipe from her bangs Bridget directed her attention at the child. For a second the shy little girl glanced at her with pale blue eyes. They were almost steely from being so pale. Bridget could recognize a part of herself in those eyes.

She was about to speak until the blonde stood between the two. "I think I know you," she nodded, agreeing to herself. "You're that girl that sung in Dublin."

Bridget arched an eyebrow, incredulous to the statement. How in the world did a random girl know about **that**? "Uhh, yeah I-"

"Sung with that chorus in Herbert's Park." The blonde finished in a haughty tone. She looked proud when she declared that. "Sounded like you owned that song the moment you strutted on the stage."

Bridget frowned momentarily. She shrugged her shoulders awkwardly. "I didn't exactly strut onto the stage."

The auburn girl giggled slightly.

"Who said you can talk?" The blonde sneered. The small girl went back to cowering again.

Bridget almost pinched the bridge of her nose but quickly recovered by making it look like she brushed her bangs instead.

"I did sing at the concert, yes." Bridget attempted to steer the conversation to the previous direction.

"Very cool," the blonde said, crossing her arms. "Haven't seen someone sing like that in a while. It was almost like you actually put effort into the performance."

"_Okay, when do kids talk like this? …Though Jamie has pulled a few big words on me in the past to prove how 'mature' he is." _Bridget smiled at the memory. "Well it helped that I really loved the song that I sang."

"What…was the song that you sang?" The small girl asked timidly. Bridget smiled. She was starting to like this girl; she had some courage in there, deep down.

"The song was called My Favorite Time of Year by the Florin Street band."

The little girl smiled shyly. She brushed her bangs in a similar manner Bridget did earlier and said, "My-my brother really likes that song too, since it came out a few years ago that's all he ever listens to every Christmas. Even if the band is British he still likes it, but I don't mind the British that much. I use to know this girl from Cornwall who-"

"Right, yeah that's great but if you want her to still be alive stop boring the singer here to death." The blonde rolled her eyes. "Can't you do anything right?"

That bravery Bridget spotted in the shorter girl's eyes started to go away just after that question was uttered. Bridget sighed. She decided that there wasn't more of a choice anymore.

* * *

Jack decided that waiting for Bridget to return from where ever she went wasn't something he wished to continue doing. After maybe a good two minutes after Bridget parked the cart he pulled himself out and trailed after the redhead. He had to convince the others not to follow him. The less of a group the better, he didn't want to draw any unwanted attention. Not too long later Jack found where Bridget was and saw her standing by a small playground.

"_Not much of a playground really." _Jack mused while looking at the single swing set and dented slide. _"Who'd let their kids play on that?"_

"I was thinking about a game we could all play."

"_Bridget what are you doing?" _Jack thought with no hint of frustration. He was genuinely curious as to why she felt the need to have fun. And more importantly without him.

"Like what? 'Hide and go ignore Annie Cries-a-lot.'" A girl with blond hair spoke snarkly while giving a shorter dark auburn haired girl a cruel look. The black haired girl standing next to the blond snickered.

Jack narrowed his eyes dangerously. There just had to be bullies around, and why girls? Jack wasn't at all sexist (when you have the Tooth Fairy on your team who can punch the lights out of Pitch Black you wouldn't consider her being a softie). He just didn't want to freeze two little girls on their rear ends.

"I was thinking something else that included everyone in a group." Bridget replied politely. Jack could tell she wanted to give those girls a piece of her mind just as much as he wanted to do now. She was good a keeping her cool. "Something with everyone being equal."

"Nobody is equal." The black haired girl spoke up. "No matter how much we want it, everybody will just have too many differences to say otherwise."

Jack raised his brows in astonishment. Something told him she wasn't talking about playtime. Bridget opened her mouth only for her to close it up again. She was just as gobsmacked as Jack felt. Eventually Bridget recovered, albeit stuttering slightly along the way.

"W-well, you know… everyone is different in his or her own but that doesn't mean we can't all be civil and work together."

"That sounds boring and lame." The blond said in an equally bored and lame tone. "Can't we do something fun?"

"Something fun you would like?" Bridget offered.

The blond nodded. "Duh, of course."

"Just as long as no one gets hurt." Bridget warned with a slightly wagging finger.

"Totally, but let Annie out of it." The blond inch toward Bridget and whispered something into her ear. Jack couldn't make out what she said but from what expressions he saw on Bridget it didn't look good.

"I see," Bridget spoke finally after the blond made her suggestion. "In that case I'm afraid I have to decline on that offer."

"What?" The blond narrowed her eyes.

"I said no," Bridget repeated. "You can't exclude a person when they're right in front of you or at all if the reason is selfish like yours is."

"So you'd rather spend time with a weirdo like her than us?" Bridget narrowed her eyes and leaned forward with her face centimeters away from the girl's. She took in a large deep breath before pulling her face back. "The girl you are teasing is not weird, nobody is weird because everybody is different like your little friend over there said so. Which brings the question as to why you keep picking on this other girl. It doesn't look like she did anything to you so I suggest you stop teasing her."

"Or else what?" The black haired girl asked without any hint of mockery. She was legitimately interested unlike the blond was. Jack was interested by this behavior.

Bridget darted her eyes around like she was trying to think of something snappy to say and then spoke, "I'll…. find some adult around here and tell them you both were being mean to this girl."

The blond narrowed her eyes so tightly that they almost looked closed. Jack covered a snicker; something about seeing a kid trying to look intimidating always amused him in a weird way. Their faces always got all scrunched up and then they would puff their cheeks before stomping their foot's in irritation and then stalk away. His sister use to do those things all the time when they…

Jack shook his head. He wasn't going to dwell on that right now.

Much to Jack's surprise though the girl that glared up at Bridget did none of those things he predicted and instead lifted her nose up in the air walked away very disdainful. The black haired girl dragged slightly and purposely stared at Bridget and the former crying girl. She didn't glare at them but held a look that was almost calculating.

"I guess even here you know how to pick the right friends." For a second Jack swore he saw the girl's eyes shift slightly with a different gleam. Almost as if they weren't always green but… blue? And what was up with that sentence she just said? She acted as though she knew Bridget, but by the way her face paled Jack had a feeling she might've known her.

"Do you know that girl?" The auburn child asked.

Bridget had her jaw dropped like a fish before she clamped it shut again. "I-I don't think so, I guess there are some weird people out there after all." She finished with a smile. The little girl giggled.

Jack smiled as well. Crisis averted.

"So, do you have a name or should I start calling you the girl-with-a-brother-who-likes-terrific-Christmas-s ongs."

The little girl giggled again. "No, it's Annie, Annie Kelly." Her small blue orbs drooped down. "They called me Annie earlier when they…"

"Hey it's okay," Bridget spoke soothingly. She bent down on one knee and smiled, "I have had bully problems in the past too. A lot of kids picked on me because I was small…well smaller, but I learned that most of the things they said about me wasn't true."

"It's still mean." Annie replied with a sniff.

Bridget nodded in agreement. "Words **can** hurt a person." Bridget's face grew a little dark. "Whoever came up with that _Sticks and Stones _nonsense should be stoned." A turbulent look soon plastered on Annie's face. Bridget blushed before correcting herself. "Well what I mean is…" Bridget paused while trying to figure out the right words to say.

"I think I know what you mean." Annie quickly said to cover the older girl's embarrassment. "So, um what's your name? My granny tells me not to talk to strangers so I better know your name so I don't get her mad."

Both Bridget and Jack smiled from hearing that. Annie was adorable and completely innocent.

"Bridget, just Bridget."

"No last name?" Annie titled her head.

Bridget shrugged. "Yeah I guess…I mean I have a first name but I don't know if there's a last one in there somewhere."

Annie hummed, looking like she didn't wish to ask further questions. "What's wrong with your glasses?" Well maybe not completely done with asking one or two more.

"Uhm," Bridget bit her lower lip and looked very uncomfortable at the moment. Jack didn't understand why she looked nervous until he spotted a mark on the right lenses.

"No," Jack whispered in disbelief. It couldn't be true, but it was. Bridget's glasses were damaged. A small crack was etched on the right lenses that appeared so small that Jack did not notice it until Annie pointed it out.

"I'm talking about why they are oval shaped?"

"_Thank you, MiM." _Jack mentally sighed.

"Because…" Bridget paused, having a difficult time finding the right words. "The friend who gave them to me likes…eggs?"

Annie burst into a fit giggles. "That's sounds silly."

Bridget smiled in slight amusement with a curled lip. "Yeah well you could say my friend is very egg-centric."

Annie stared at her with a confused look.

"Bad joke, yeah I know. I'm a sap when it comes to putting out puns." Bridget admitted while rubbing the back of her neck.

"You were pretty funny earlier."

"Yeah well that was mostly improv, kiddo. I make it up as I go along for the most part."

"It's funny." Annie complimented.

Bridget smiled. "Thanks."

"You don't sound like you're from around here." Annie spoke thoughtfully.

Jack almost clenched his teeth. Why are most kids this day and age so smart and to the punch?

"It's the accent, isn't it?" Bridget grinned sheepishly.

Annie nodded. "A little. And I haven't met you before and I know almost everybody here."

"Like those two girls," Bridget thumbed toward the direction where the snobby girls walked off.

Annie shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I actually don't know them that well. I rarely play with other kids my age."

"Why?" Bridget titled her head and placed her hands in her pockets. Jack wondered if Bridget had Sal with her.

"Because I'm too small." Annie answered sadly.

"I'm small, remember? Well I am for my age at least." Bridget offered a half-smile. "And those girls weren't taller than you by that much," she pressed her thumb and index finger to demonstrate. "Is that the only reason?"

Annie lowered her head. "A lot of the older kids think believing in the Fey is stupid."

Bridget creased her brow, like she was processing for a moment. "Fey, you mean fairies and stuff like that, right?"

"Uh-huh," Annie nodded. "My brother believes in it too. He'd use to go outside to find a Will-O'-The…the Wisp. Will-O'-The-Wisp or even a troll."

"Trolls exist," Bridget almost shouted. By the way Jack saw it he had a feeling she said it out of reflex. "They like to steal your socks but hate sunlight so you better keep them on while you sleep and not wear them during the day. Keeps your feet all cozy and nice during the winter."

Jack covered his mouth. _"Where does she come up with this stuff?" _

Annie giggled. "That doesn't sound right."

"Well they do," Bridget puffed her chest lightly. "You just haven't seen one. Which is exactly what you can tell those bullies in the future; just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not there."

"My brother told me the same thing about this… _Bòcan _he said he found." Annie lowered her eyes again. She looked forlorn while reminiscing.

Jack felt a pain of sadness wrap around inside himself. Something about the tone she used to say that didn't sound right. The way she mentioned her brother made it sound like it was in the past tense.

Jack furrowed his eyebrows in worry.

"A …Bò-can?" Bridget tested the word, hoping it sounded right.

Annie nodded. Bridget quirked an eyebrow with interest. "What's a Bòcan?"

"A Bòcan is ah…ah it's like a little house spirit I think. The one that my brother found was lost said it lost its home and had nowhere else to go. He told Granny and she said the Bòcan can stay if he didn't anger it, because according to her that if you angered a house spirit they turn into Bogle and ruin your livelihood."

Bridget adjusted herself so she was sitting on her bottom and plopped her chin up with her right hand. "Did she really say that?"

Annie. "Mmm-hmm, she told me to always behave and be nice to everyone so that none of the Fey would punish me for my bad deeds. I made sure to be on my best behavior whenever the Bòcan was around but I don't think he paid much attention to me. I think he liked my brother, Danny, more though since he always had his shoes cleaned up from after going outside and leaving him gifts from the deep woods."

Bridget looked thoughtful and nodded. She had her share of magical escapades thanks to the Guardians so she didn't have a hard time to grasp what she was listening to.

"What's goin' on here?" Jack nearly jumped when he realized he wasn't alone anymore. Bunny scratched an eye before giving Jack a quizzical. "Well?"

"Shh," Jack shot a finger over his lips. "Be quiet or they'll-"

"What's that over there?" Blue and green eyes widened in shock.

* * *

Annie was pointing a finger near the same bush Bridget came out of not too long ago and she narrowed her eyes at what the littler girl was point towards. _"Oh, Mister Moon why must you do this to me? Can't I catch one break?"_

Bridget wanted to just get out of there and run like the dickens but knew it wasn't right. She didn't want to give poor Annie more problems than she already had. From the way she talked it sounded like she only lived with her grandmother and brother and even he probably wasn't around anymore. The girl didn't need any more abandonment issues.

"I'm not sure," Bridget widen her eyes slightly when she saw Annie take a hesitant step. "But we probably shouldn't go look into it. It could be a sick animal or some sneaky person trying to grab when we aren't looking." She made sure to glare directly at the shadows in the bushes since she had a good feeling of who were in them.

Annie kept walking anyway, despite Bridget's protests. She knelt to the ground and gasped in surprise. A small gray bunny with big wide eyes sat before her, shaking all over.

"Oh, aren't you cute?" Annie cooed and grabbed the rabbit. Her arm went straight through Jack's leg while she scooped up Bunny. Jack sighed sadly and shook his head. He should've expected this, Jack Frost wasn't widely well known in the U.S. so surely he was barely heard of in Ireland.

"You shouldn't hold him like that. He doesn't like people cuddling him like that." Bridget said to Annie without realizing what she had just uttered. Her eyes momentarily winded until Annie looked at her curiously.

"Why do you know that?" Annie soon widened her own eyes and took a step back. "Is this rabbit yours?"

Bridget bit her lower lip and glanced at Bunny. He gave her a pleading look. _"Must resist cuteness. Resisting not well." _With no other choice Bridget silently consented with the pooka. She nodded at Annie.

Blue eyes downcasted in shame. "Oh," she handed Bridget Bunny to her arms and looked lowly to the ground. "Sorry. Didn't know he was your pet."

Bridget frowned in pity and shrugged. "It wasn't your fault I just didn't realize he was out and about without me knowing." She lifted Bunny gently enough so she didn't surprise him. "This little guys does have bit of a temper even if he enjoys being with kids."

Annie gawked momentarily before she started to laugh. "The bunny looked like he glared at you a second there."

Bridget fought the urge to smirk. "Yeah he does that."

Annie placed her hands behind her waist and asked slowly, "Do you… have a place to stay or are your parents around?"

Bridget was taken back. "Shouldn't I be asking you that, especially the last question?"

The auburn girl frowned. "I don't have parents."

"_That's what I was afraid of." _Bridget mentally winced. "Well I don't have them either, well I think I don't at least."

"At least?" Annie asked incredulously. "You sound like your okay wit that."

"Oh I'm not," Bridget quickly corrected herself. "Don't get me wrong it's nice to have a family but I don't know where mine is." She repeatedly hit herself with her mind. _"Great job ya dummy. By this rate the whole world __**will **__know about your sad back story."_

Annie gaped for a second before she closed her mouth. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Bridget shrugged. "I've been living with it. I'm probably too old for a family to adopt me anyways."

"You're never too old to have a family," Annie called out. She adverted her eyes away bashfully. "At least that's what my granny says to me."

"She sounds like a really wise person then."

"You'd be the first to say that," Annie admitted.

"Well it's the truth." Bridget nodded in affirmation.

"Would you… would you like to meet her?"

Bridget blinked twice from that offering and worried over the new forming lump in her throat. Her eyes darted toward the bushes and noticed Jack's worried eyes. She even glanced down at Bunny and saw the same expression.

Bridget sighed. "Listen that sounds very nice, really nice, but I have a lot that needs to be done. I have to…do this thing where I'm with these people…at this place and-" The sounds of a grumbling stomach interrupted her. _"Well I'm doomed now."_

"It sounds like you're hungry." Annie pointed out. "Maybe my granny can make you something to eat before you go to that thing of yours."

The redhead shifted her feet nervously and wanted to give Bunny a pleading look of her own. When she looked down momentarily the pooka stared at her blankly. 'You're on your own on this one, Shelia.' Bunny's mien read to her.

After swallowing that large invisible lump Bridget breathed. "Okay. I guess I could visit, but only for a little while." She added quickly when Annie began to look very excited.

"Great!" Annie tugged on Bridget's pants and pulled her and a reluctant Bunny forward. "You'll really like where Granny and me live. It's this nice house near the other side of town with a big backyard," Annie continued talking about her home while Bridget was starting to psychologically berate herself for a second time today.

"So." Jack jumped out of his hiding place and strolled casually beside Bridget. "Does this mean our gang's gonna make a little detour now?"

Bridget turned her head toward his direction and gave him a dark look. _"Don't you even think about it, mister."_

"Okay," the winter spirit raised his hands up in defense. "I can see you're not in a joking mood, but look on the bright side; you get to carry Bunny around without him saying no. He has no choice in the matter."

It was Bunny's turn to glare at Jack.

"Though I will be serious this once and ask what exactly are we gonna do about the others?" Jack whispered in Bridget's ear. He didn't really need a reason to do it but he liked to anyway.

Bridget no longer held a look of disdain as it slowly turned into a look of realization. She completely forgot about the others. She couldn't just leave them and the cart alone. Petrov was already drawing a lot of attention for being a reindeer. The last thing Bridget wanted was for the remaining Guardians to draw unwanted attention on themselves too.

"Say," Bridget spoke out to get Annie attention. "If your house is far from hear why don't we take my…. vehicle." It quickly dawned to her how creepy that sounded. _"Dammit! When did I started to sound like a 'sneaky person?'" _

Annie next expression was predicable as she gave Bridget a nervous look. "I'm not sure if I-" Suddenly she was cut off by the sound of a large animal calling out. She had indirectly led the four of them to where Bridget 'parked' Petrov and saw two teenagers were harassing him. Bridget scowled in annoyance and shooed the two troublemakers away. When she was done she couldn't help but laugh while Annie stared in awe of Petrov.

"Is this deer yours?"

Bridget looked over at Petrov and then at the sheet covering North. "Well, it belongs to a friend of mine who's letting me help look after him."

"Is he a reindeer?" Annie asked excitedly. Bridget smiled, finding Annie more adorable by the minute.

"I hope so," Bridget said without really answering. "Otherwise I'd have to tell my friend he was ripped off."

Petrov snorted. He was most certainly a reindeer thank you very much. It was one of the many things that needed to be approved by North in order to be a member of his team.

"Is it Santa Claus' reindeer?"

Bridget arched an eyebrow at Annie and laughed nervously. "You sure have an active imagination don't you kiddo? This reindeer here is too far from the North Pole don't you think?"

Annie frowned but nodded. "I guess you're right. And it would be weird to say he was Santa's reindeer."

"How come?"

"Because Santa doesn't drive on a cart, but a sleigh."

"Ahck!" Came North's disgruntled cry.

Annie eyed Bridget curiously before she cleared her throat loudly. "Sorry. I guess I've got a cough. I don't think there is anything wrong with carts." Bridget said noisily in order for North to hear her. "They're really fun to ride around in and cool. Carts are cool."

Annie looked over at the cart and turned to Bridget with an expectant look. "Can I ride in it? Even if it isn't Santa's, I really wanna ride with a reindeer."

Bridget felt her heart melt into a puddle by that point in time. "You'll have to wait longer to ride in a cart with a reindeer but you can certainly sit in the cart with me while Petrov drives us to your house."

Annie snickered. "Petrov's a funny name."

Petrov snorted. It most certainly wasn't a funny name in his opinion. Bridget gave him a warning look. "He was named after a horse that Petrov's owner had before…getting the reindeer."

"Okay, can we ride now?" Annie was nearly hopping with excitement.

"Bridget," Jack placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure about this?"

Bridget nodded once, unnoticed by Annie as she climbed up the driver's side of the cart and offered her hand for Annie. Bunny hopped out off Bridget's lap and jumped down to the cart's 'haul.'

Jack sighed and climbed in without the little girl noticing and delicately avoiding the others and their hands.

"Vhat is happening, Jack?" North spoke barely above a whisper that it was almost difficult for Jack to hear him the first time.

The winter spirit looked over at Bridget's back and gave her a tired look. He turned his head toward North and replied, "We're taking a little detour, and more importantly a place we can probably rest for the night."

Bridget snapped the reins and the cart started forward.

* * *

**Q-A: **Lame way to end a chapter I know but it's the best cliffhanger I came up with. My mind's been too wrapped around a certain movie teaser trailer lately. XD

How to Train Your Dragon 2: teaser trailer came out not too long ago and I watched it like seven times! (Fishlegs would be pleased XD) God! Why do we have to wait 11 months to see the most awesome thing since HTTYD and RotG?

DX I'm not even sure if we'll get a sequel to RotG. But if we sign enough petitions or keep throwing money at DreamWorks it'll become a dream come true. I mean com on! Everybody's been throwing money at the HTTYD franchise, why not RotG?

And I'd like to add…

HOLY JEEZE! HICCUP'S HIT PUBERTY AND HE'S SO-OH MY GOD I THOUGHT JACK WAS- BUT NOW HICCUP IS- *passes out from pure awesomeness. Recovers 5 minutes later*

That is all.

.

Deadest – true or truth.

Bunyip - A mythological creature in Australia that even the Aussies think isn't real. Hence the reason why Bunny joked about them earlier.

In according to helpful resources (a.k.a the internet XD) Kelly means Bright-headed ones. I felt the name would be suitable for them.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	29. Magic

**Q-A: **Man it's funny how far we've all come through this story huh? XD Jeez, I sound like this is the final chapter or something. O.O …. XDD Naw that won't be for a few more guys don't ya worry. Seriously it'll be like four or five more chapters. :O Damn, That's a lot to sink in. I can tell some of you felt robbed that there wasn't enough Jack and Bridget action in the last chapter so never fear! This one should satisfy you enough. ^-^

**Disclaimer: **I own none of the characters DreamWorks and The Greater God of Moonbots own or the song _Christmas is the time to Say 'I Love You' _by Billy Squier.

* * *

_~Magic~ _

"I'm just not sure why trolls hate sunlight."

Bridget smiled weakly and shrugged. Annie had been asking questions nonstop since the beginning of the cart ride. She was starting to rival Bridget in being the most curious person out there. "They don't exactly hate sunlight, they just can't come out during the light of day because of getting stoned-Darn it I did it again!"

Annie giggled; the sound was warm like a comforting hug. "You really **are** funny."

"Funny as in 'funny looking?' Or 'funny sounding,' or maybe even…?" Bridget offered innocently, earning several more giggles from Annie.

"No," Annie shook her head. "Just funny."

"Well I'm happy I can be entertaining for you," Bridget replied with a sarcastic but cheerful ring to it. With one look from Bunny she paid attention back to the empty road and continued steering Petrov.

The road they were on wasn't much of a road but more of a pebbled pathway toward the outskirts of Kildare. From what Bunny had seen since the town itself was very beautiful at sunset. It wasn't like Wexford or Dublin with large buildings and narrow streets and loud cars, everything about Kildare was smaller and more rural. The houses were small with barely more than two stories tall. Buildings and shops littered near the center of the land that most of them looked locally owned. It was also noted that there were several pubs, which Bunny decided not to share that newfound information with Sandy. The Sandman would dry up Tooth's coin pouch from his unquenchable thirst.

It was something that Bunny enjoyed, him being outside from the musky quilt. He preferred fresh air to everything else for the most part. The only downside was that Frost was out too. Annie was apparently not a believer in Jack Frost so he remained invisible to her. On the other hand, she was a believer in the Easter Bunny since she almost squeezed the daylights out of him. The whole thing was a mixed blessing but only without there being a good side to it all. The only positive he could think of was that the Big Ankle-biter kept distracting the smaller ankle-biter with other stories.

"And do trolls really steal socks?"

Bridget nodded, causing her glasses to slip slightly. The glasses soon drew Bunny's attention when he noticed something different about them. He narrowed his green eyes to gaze at them better. His green peepers widened to the size of dinner plates. There was a crack in the right lenses! Out of all the times to have lost his magic powers –DAMN IT! How did he not see it before and more importantly why didn't Bridget drop everything and tell him or the other Guardians personally?

"_She doesn't want to draw attention to herself like Frost and me 'ave done." _Bunny's logical thinking struck his brain. He gave Bridget an unseen sympathetic look. Nightlight was right along. She **was** a lot tougher than she looked. She calmly settled a dispute between three girls and probably kept her cool after her lenses cracked. It made Bunny wondered what other things she had to do on her own without anyone else helping. In the past Bunny always preferred doing things (the logical) his way by being on his own and never admitting he needed anyone. Now that he was older and (to a lesser extant) wiser Bunnymund knew that if an egg needed help to be either hatched or painted, so did he.

"_But does that mean Shelia knows that she can rely us?" _The memories of the Hill of Tara came back into his mind. Bunny sighed. He promised not to dwell his mind on those kinds of thoughts. Bridget wasn't ready to talk so he needed to wait until she was. He did wish he could stop pretending to be a dumb rabbit and just give her a hug though. She looked like she needed some form of comfort and rekindle of hope. Hope that she would always have someone to rely on and that she could be useful to others.

For some reason the idea of eggs being painted came into the pooka's mind.

* * *

Bridget was starting to run out of troll trivia by the time they finally arrived at Annie's house.

"_Thank you moon," _Bridget silently cheered. _"Even if you're still the biggest troll in my opinion. Thanks anyway." _

"We're here!" Annie cheered aloud. When the cart came to a complete stop she jumped out and motioned Bridget to follow. "Come on, I can't wait to show you to Granny!"

Bridget smiled toward the girl while sighing on the inside for what felt like the umpteenth time that day. She felt a shift in the cart and soon felt a cool presence by her shoulder.

"You don't have to go in there," Jack offered to Bridget. "You could just tell her that you need to leave and be on your way." Bridget responded to Jack's proposal with one shake of her head. _"I made a promise and you can't break a promise. I could never imagine doing something like that." _She pushed herself off of the cart and walked to where Annie was.

* * *

"She can be pretty stubborn sometimes." Jack said to no one. He heard some struggling in the cart and saw moving lumps shifting around under the sheet. He pulled it off halfway. North brought his head out slightly and said to Jack, "Leetle Girl vanted to help other leetle girl. Ve can't say no to that."

"Yeah we should," Jack pointed to Bridget' retreating form. "She can't be gone too long. We need to find that rock and stop the Morrígan." And the Big Day I planned for her couldn't have any interruptions either, was something Jack wanted to add but decided against it.

"And ve vill," North agreed. "But she needs food and rest. Most of us barely get much sleep thanks to the time changes vith all this veather going around."

"Not that I could've helped with that." Jack retorted in irritation. If he had his way, most of Ireland should've been piled with a blizzard along with the rest of the places that needed winter. But with that stupid goddess messing everything with his flying powers that there was almost nothing he could do. He felt so powerless right now; he couldn't even stop Bridget from leaving.

"It seems hard right now, Jack." Tooth began in her usual soothing way. "With us being so close and yet so far from our goal it feels like they're a lot of things in our way. The obstacles Bridget is facing right now is something she can't just simply walk out of. That girl Annie has suffered a lot today and needs a friend. Not a Guardian but a friend and that's what Bridget is being for her right now. By tomorrow things should become less difficult for us."

"But the nineteenth is tomorrow." Jack replied.

"And that'll give us some time left," North countered. "For now let us give Bridget one night for her to comfort the leetle girl. It sounded like to me she had lost someone of great importance to her not too long ago." North narrowed his eyes in deep thought.

Jack sighed and reluctantly nodded. "Okay, but we should keep an eye on her."

"No need to vorry on that. I think I saw the leetle girl grab Bunny before they left for house."

"What?!" Tooth jumped out in shock, completely removing the sheet off of them all. North, Sandy, and Nightlight blinked a few times at her in confusion before the fairy smiled sheepishly. "I mean-he'll be fine won't he?"

North smiled widely and patted Tooth on the back. "If I know anything about Edmund is that he knows vhat to do vhen times look their bleakest. How hard can it be to be vith a child and her grandmother?"

* * *

"_It's official, I am never getting stuck in this form with ankle-biters around." _Bunny groaned in annoyance. Annie giggled excitedly while she attempted to put a blue ribbon in Bunny's hair. He hopped around the room a couple times until he found refuge underneath the sofa.

"Come out, little bunny. I just want to make you look pretty." Annie crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"I don't think he really likes to look pretty." Bridget admitted. She could see where Bunny was hiding and noticed the dark look he gave her. Like this was all her fault?

"But he's so cute and he'd be even cuter with a bow."

A new voice came in that held much age but was equally balanced with high wisdom that most others could not see. "Now listen to our guest, Annie and leave that poor rabbit alone. They get frightened by even the simplest of noises."

Annie's grandmother, or Granny as she preferred to be called, was the perfect picture of what an old woman should look like in Bridget's opinion. She never actually paid close attention to what the elderly looked like, with the exception of Ombric. Granny had pale gray hair with a white streak that added only more to her appearance. Her skin wrinkled all over but showed some softness from the years of kindness and affection she had blessed others with. She wore a green woolen dress with red patches for decoration. Over the dress was a dark blue knitted cloth wrapped around her neck like a bandanna. She was hunched slightly, had a wart on her left eyebrow and very yellowed teeth.

Granny was the most wonderful old lady Bridget had the honor of meeting.

"Okay Granny," Annie reluctantly sighed before stepping away from the couch. Bunny breathed out a sigh of relief as he crawled out. Bridget scooped him up as she fallowed the two Kelly women to the kitchen.

Everything about Granny Kelly and her house or cottage was very warm and comforting. Bridget had nearly forgotten what room temperature even felt like since Wexford. There were several differences between the Kelly household and a regular old bar. The cottage was small but filled with many homely things Bridget remembered seeing in the tour of a Santoff Claussen house she had seen. Furniture with upholstered flowers littered the living room while quilts covered half of them. Conjoined to the living room was a tiny kitchen with one stove and oven with three cabinets overhead most likely filled with plates, cups, and silverware. A table set up for three people had a large put over the middle steaming with a warm stew. Even from the living room Bridget could smell the potatoes, fresh herbs, and chicken broth.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here for the night." Bridget smiled to Granny. "I promise to be out of your hair by morning."

Granny laughed, her chortle sounding soft and slow like a bowl of molasses drooping down. "You don't have to if you like."

"I need to," Bridget explained. "There's this important thing I need to get done by the end of the week."

"Preparing for Christmas?"

Bridget sadly shook her head. "No," she had forgotten all about Christmas since rescuing Petrov at Dublin. At that moment Bridget realized that if fate hadn't changed her and the Bennett's lives they would've been putting up ornaments and worked hard at making the house clean for the big day and play in the snow. There were a lot of things Bridget realized she was missing out on since the trip began. The only thing she didn't really miss was school but that was self-explanatory.

"She could help with the lights and ornaments tonight!" Annie suggested as she pulled her chair to sit down. Granny asked her moments later if the girl remembered to wash her hands. With a sigh Annie walked over to the sink and did just that.

Bridget quietly snickered and whispered in Granny's good ear. "I don't know how you do it but you're good."

Granny smiled knowingly. "Years of practice. But what Annie said earlier can happen if you like."

"Help decorating the tree." Bridget hoped she didn't sound too hopeful in her tone. "Oh I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"Nonsense," Granny cut in. "After we eat we'll get on to it after dinner."

Bridget still felt awkward from walking into the house earlier and nearly made poor old Granny faint that she still felt hesitant. "I don't think…"

"Now I'm afraid you can't say no to us, child." Granny placed a hand on Bridget's shoulder. "You might as well be whistling jigs to a milestone. Us Kelly women are known to be stubborn ladies. How else could my Áine have persuaded you to come here?"

"Granny!" Annie called out in embarrassment. "I don't like being called that."

"Tis' not my fault for you to have that name," Granny defended in mock fury. "It was the name of your great-great-great-grandmother. Lord above how any of us even remembered what her name was."

Bridget laughed quietly under her breath as she kept watching the scene before her. Eventually the two hosts calmed down after remembering Bridget still in the room and busied with preparing the table. Annie went to the refrigerator to acquire a few carrots. "I think your bunny would like them."

Bunny was practically salivating from the sight and Bridget nodded. She soon remembered of five other friends needing food. "Uhm, Granny Kelly, do you think I could grab something from the fridge too? There's…" She trailed off; realizing that asking for more food would sound unusual.

Surprisingly Granny seemed to have understood. "Of course." Noticing Bridget's dumbfounded expression, Granny laughed. "My Daniel always liked having a few extra helpings to give out to the sprites that run around our land. He always thought I didn't notice but I did. It made him go scarlet when I caught him the last time he did it."

Bridget's eyebrows vanished while she slowly put the stew's cooling mat on the table. "So, Danny use to go out for magical beings is what you're saying?"

Granny nodded, her fond smile turning into a thin line. Bunny motioned at Bridget to drop the subject by drawing a paw over his neck. Annie came back moments later with the carrots freshly rinsed and put into a bowl for Bunny.

Dinner was hardly a silent affair, but hardly had much talking either. Annie spent most of it asking Bridget questions about what America was like. Bridget ended up talking more about Burgess since she was more familiar with that town. She told them about her home with the Bennetts, how high school was like, the shops, and a few of the children. Unfortunately her talk about the children ended there when Granny offered a roll for Bridget. She decided not to talk for the remainder of the meal.

* * *

"I don't think your granny likes me that much." Bridget confessed to Annie while the elderly lady washed the dishes. The two of them were sitting in the living room preparing to remove the Christmas decorations from their boxes. Annie was busy giving Bunny a scratch behind his ears then gave Bridget a surprised look. "Of course she does. She just has a funny way of showing it."

Bridget craned her neck to see that Granny was still scrubbing down the stew pot and turned her attention back to Annie. "I guess you're right," was the words that Bridget decided to say to Annie but she wished she could've asked about Danny. The boy sounded like he was someone worthwhile to talk with since he must know a lot about the magical sides of Ireland. It sounded desperate but Bridget really had no other ideas.

"I'm almost done with the cleaning," Granny called out from the kitchen. "I'll be there in a few moments."

"Okay Granny!" Annie called back. "We're about to start putting on the ornaments."

"No lights?" Bridget asked.

"We don't have any." Annie sighed sadly.

"C'mon," Bridget ushered Annie toward the tree, every evergreen branch bare and vacant. "I think there's a branch right here that would love to have a red bauble on it."

* * *

"They look like they're having fun don't they?" Tooth asked Jack after spotting him staring at the window. The winter spirit chuckled in embarrassment from getting caught but smiled at Tooth nonetheless.

"Yeah," Jack replied. His blue eyes softened when he saw Bridget get into a tinsel fight was Annie.

"There you two are." North exclaimed with Sandy and Nightlight in tow. Petrov was near some trees near the cottage and ate pleasantly. Bridget had insisted that the reindeer wouldn't run off and the cart could be kept outside. Granny had held a look of confusion before it softened into what Jack could have described as understanding. Adults were weird like that.

"Just admiring the view," Tooth explained while pointing toward inside the window. Several eyes now peered alongside Jack as they all looked into the living room.

* * *

North sighed happily while watching the three humans interact with one another. He always loved how around Christmas time people seemed to put aside their differences and learn to find the most unique ways to celebrate the holiday. Wherever he went around the world North was able to see the very thing that made Christmas universal; Love. Love was shown to and from people far and wide with much happiness and compassion it warmed his heart to see when people could come together and be joyful despite what little or how much they had to share. The way the little girl Annie smiled while putting the angel on the Christmas tree's top showed much joy and wonder. It was something North regretfully missed from being away from children for so long. Monty was kind enough to show the old bandit king a few things he had missed from the last few centuries but it wasn't enough. Bridget though…. Well she showed much more than North ever thought he could see.

North saw the joy, happiness, wonder from an adolescent's perspective. Sadly he also saw the pain and unhappiness Bridget suffered through since the quest's very beginning. He something needed to be done to make sure she would always have a happy life and seeing her filled with so much wonder brought back an idea that was forming in his mind not too long after the trip began.

* * *

"Oh I think she's about to sing." Tooth spoke excitedly. Through the window Jack saw that the grandmother how brought out a device that he recalled looked like an old fashioned radio. It was one of those old looking ones that were shaped like a half-oval with a glass orb in the middle and little knobs to find the airwaves. The radio was old but appeared to work with the radio lighting up moments later. Annie pushed Bridget slightly toward the radio. She smiled nervously and made a motion in her hands to decline. Annie pulled at her arm with excitement in her eyes. Bridget puffed out a breath of air and smiled. She nodded once and turned toward the grandmother who turned on the radio.

"It's such a shame we can't hear it," Tooth frowned. The very moment she said that Bridget turned her attention toward the window. The Guardians widened their eyes in surprise. The redhead gave them a half smile and spoke toward the grandmother. She smiled and gave a Bridget a nod and she then walked over to the window and opened it slightly.

"We're about to do some super cheesy caroling right now." Bridget whispered hastily in a hushed tone. "I asked Granny-erm-Mrs. Kelly to open the window slightly because I said the room was getting a little stuffy." She gave them a wink and walked away.

"Such a clever girl," North chuckled. Jack smiled and shook his head. Somehow Bridget always found a new way to surprise them.

"I'm not sure you two heard this one but I think I found a good song," Bridget replied minutes later after twisting the radio's knob around and smiled when she found the right station. The melody of _Christmas is the Time to Say 'I Love You' _soon began to wrap around the room and pour outside.

"Good song," North complimented just before Bridget began to sing the first verse. Similar to the situation in Dublin, Bridget sang with a deep passion that almost felt like it was unseen, hidden away until a moment like this came around. Jack couldn't stop the grin from forming on his lips.

* * *

"_-Christmas is the time to say, "I love you"  
And a feeling that will last all through the year~" _

Bridget finished the last verse with the sound of Granny and Annie cheering moments later. Bridget smiled despite of her flushed face and bowed mockingly. "Thank you, thank you I'll be here all night."

"That was quite the performance," Granny said before getting up from her chair.

"It was a lot of fun." Annie cheered.

"I liked the chorus singing from you, Annie." Bridget smiled after seeing Annie's grin. "I didn't know you had talent."

"I use to sing in my church's choir," the little girl admitted while placing the last ornament on the tree.

"What made you stopped? You sound like a natural."

"I think it's time for bed Annie," Granny called out suddenly. She turned off the radio moments later and inclined the little girl to take her hand. Annie smiled apologetically at Bridget before accepting her grandmother's hand. Bridget titled her head toward the Kellys in confusion until Granny gave her a sad but tired look. The redhead had a feeling the expression was meant for someone else.

"All right I did I miss something?" Bunny called out after he decided it was safe to speak. "What was that all about?"

Bridget shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno."

"Leetle Girl, Leetle Girl," North waved at her to come toward the window. Bridget walked over and gave her undivided attention to him.

"I have feeling in my belly that there is something troubling this family you've found yourself into."

"Anyone could've figured that one out, genius." Bunny retorted. He stood on his hind legs while using his paws to remove a loose bow from his neck.

"Nice accessory, Bunny." Jack joked with a chuckle. "Makes you look even fluffier than normal.

Bunny gave Jack the stink-eye. "How abou' I tie this around your neck. Do ya reckon it'll make your hair fluff out?"

"Guys, guys," Bridget made a time-out gesture. "Let's focus at the real problem here."

Tooth nodded earnestly. "Something has happen to the people here to make them look so sad moments ago. There must be something wrong."

"It has something to do with that Danny kid right?" Jack titled his head toward North's. "Do you remember a kid named Danny Kelly?"

"Of course." North replied like it was the easiest answer in the world. "He is a very bright young child full of answers and villing to find them out himself. Last year he asked for a book about all the unsolved mysteries out there in the vorld. Because of his situation I decided to give him a more…accurate book from my personal collection."

"What do you mean by 'his situation?'"

"Funny you should ask Leetle Girl. It may not come to a surprise to most of you but like how Burgess has Jamie vith his interest in the magical vorld, turns out so does Daniel Kelly of Kildare. But unlike Jamie who had yet to actually see a magical being before us, Danny had seen several for most of his life here. Ireland is an old land vhere magic and reality are meshed like a veaved cloth Bridget vears stitched to pants. Some people in rural areas can see the fairies here thanks to deep rooted beliefs passed down from generation to generation. The voman, must have passed down her teachings to her grandchildren."

"_Too bad she didn't tell them about Jack Frost." _Bridget thought sadly. "I wish I knew about this earlier. Would've made a difference for me on the trip I believe."

"But what difference could it have made?" Tooth asked her.

Bridget shrugged. She wasn't sure why she spoke that only that a part of her wished that the Guardians didn't hide important stuff like this from her…only for her mind to trail off to the firepowers. Bridget sighed. "It's late, I'll get something for you all to eat and I'll sleep here tonight. See you soon." Bunnymund opted to stay outside with the others and bid Bridget a short goodbye himself.

The redheaded girl closed the window and turned around to come face to face with Granny. Like the master of words she was Bridget stuttered beautifully. "Oh-um-I-I uh, was just with...um."

Granny laughed slightly. "I have a few unusual quirks myself, but they mostly appeared after I aged."

Bridget bit her lower lip and pulled at her left arm. This was so awkward. Bridget feigned a yawn and stretched her arms. "Well it's late, I'm tired and I'm gonna call it a night if that's alright with-"

"I wish to apologize for how I acted earlier." Granny interrupted.

"Wha…?"

"How I kept evading questions that involved my grandson and the other children." Granny looked at the ground guiltily. "Just them being brought up makes it painful for me to think about."

The Mini-fairies that habitually existed inside Bridget's stomach to evoke ticklish feelings from Jack now jabbed and stabbed the inner walls out of pain. "You don't have to apologize. I'm sorry for bringing it up."

Granny smiled from sympathy and waved it off. "Please I think you ought to know." She beckoned Bridget to sit on the sofa while she sat on a chair opposite from her. The older woman linked her hands together and sighed. "My granddaughter is very shy. She doesn't have many friends because of it. The closest to a friend she had was my grandson, Danny. He was the one that took the initiative to speak with new people and help her make friends. He always held a strong fascination with my stories of the Fey and the unknown. He got his curiosity from my son. Annie inherited her delicate nature and excitement from my daughter-in-law. We lost both of them three winters ago. It was hard for us but my grandchildren learned to manage. And then…. And then, almost a month an ago…. I lost him." The grandmother's usually calm blue eyes began to water. She took out a handkerchief and blew at it rather loudly. Bridget never really understood why people always blew at their noses when they were tearing up. It made more sense to her if they just wiped their eyes instead.

"Do you need a tissue or…" Bridget trailed off when Granny waved off the offer.

"No, no-I'm fine really." Granny grinned through her tears and wiped them away with the hankie. Bridget mentally winced. _"Eww." _

Bridget gathered enough courage to ask rather weakly. "How did you lose your grandson?"

Granny uncharacteristically shrugged her shoulders. "No one truly knows. He was outside for the afternoon, claiming he was to look for a Will O' The Wisp to learn their traveling patterns and whatnot. If only I was a younger woman I could actually remember what he last said to me." Granny smiled witlessly before her sadden look returned. "It was hours by the time I felt something was wrong. Danny always came back long before nightfall and yet sunset was fast approaching. I called the Gardaí about it but I learned that a few more children were taken as well. Did you hear about the unusual kidnappings that had taken place near the end of November?"

Bridget paled slightly and swallowed hard. "I might've heard about it." Oh she **definitely **heard about it.

"It's quiet horrible, so many children missing and no one knowing where they are. The kidnappings were so random; no one knew what or why they were taken. It was not like the families could have been able to pay a ransom but I certainly couldn't-" Granny began to choke up while covering her face with her hands. Bridget breathed in and out and made a face full of worry. She honestly had no idea how to help the poor old woman. Bridget was never all that good at comforting someone in her opinion and wasn't sure what to do. The only thing she came up with was standing up to stand near where the grandmother was and patted her free hand gently.

Bridget really wished there was something she could say like, 'I'm sorry for the loss,' but that sounded to harsh and made it sound like she believed that Danny was….not around. Saying, 'I know what it's like to lose someone,' didn't sound very realistic since she didn't have any lost relatives for all she knew. Jamie and Sophie and the rest of the children in Burgess didn't necessarily count since they all weren't related either. Bridget eventually decided to say nothing and opted to wrap her arms around the woman. She felt Granny shake in her arms like a weeping baby gurgling with tears. The redhead was grateful that Granny wasn't crying loud enough to wake Annie up, otherwise Bridget would have to comfort both Kellys and she wasn't doing so hot of a job with the elderly woman.

"_Hot of a job, ugh what an awful joke." _Bridget thought was she rocked Granny back and forth and side to side. She remembered in books how calming a person down required being gentle and soft so she did that even if it was meant for a toddler and not a grown woman. In the end it surprisingly did the trick.

* * *

After coaxing Granny to her bedroom Bridget picked out a few things from the fridge. She carefully closed it back up again, not letting any cold air to come out and slowly walked out to the front door.

"Okay, guys I got some dinner. I hope you're hungry." Bridget struggled with carry so many items but did her best to hide her toil.

"Starving." Jack said moments later as he appeared near Bridget. He smiled at the food Bridget brought and moved his hand close enough to the tray-

SWAT!

"Ow," Jack recoiled his hand away and rubbed at it. He grimaced at Bridget while she gave him a blank look. "Wait your turn like everybody else, Jack. Honestly you can be so childish sometimes."

Jack looked at her in disbelief. "And you're the mature one here?"

"I am now." Bridget smirked as she turned her attention away from Jack. A feat that was easier said than done. She walked to North and happily gave him a mug of warm tea. She soon went to Tooth and handed a cup to her as well. The Fairy Queen's mug was filled with green tea with mint leaves mixed in. "This has some peppermint in here for you North. I figured you'd like it to make you all toasty. It's not fresh unfortunately. Granny Kelly made it two hours ago and I had to reheat it again in the microwave so sorry in advance if it tastes weird."

North chuckled. "Anything varm to touch is velcomed vhen you travel far north like I have." He breathed in the scent of the tea and literally inhaled the drink in one gulp. Bridget widen her eyes in amazement, that drink she gave should've been able to burn the roof off of a person's mouth. She slowly realized that it was North she was thinking about and how it was the same guy who could fight a person with a bent stake knife and was **still** eating the steak.

"Thank you so much for this, Wisdom Tooth." Tooth and her Mini-fairies drank their tea with much more dignity than North by sipping a spoonful for each intake. "The mint is very good for the breath and keeping it clean."

Bridget smiled, the crinkles around her eyes creased along with the smile. "I had a feeling you'd like it."

"And for Nightlight, a cup of cocoa. Even if it isn't Ombric's Santoff Claussen recipe and this is coming from a powered mix and some water I figured it would be better than nothing." Nightlight took a cautious sip, out of fear of burning his tongue before he smiled and nodded his thanks.

"And because I've never met a better eggnog-chugger, this glass goes to you Sandy." The Sandman smiled widely before he took an eager sip and did what he did best and guzzle the whole thing down. "Don't expect to be getting seconds." Bridget said, earning a pout from Sandy.

Jack waited patiently for his turn as he rested by a tree. When he saw Bridget walking his way with two mugs left in the tray and straightened up and waited eagerly. Much to his astonishment Bridget strolled right past him and turned to where Bunny sat. She walked all the way to the winter spirit just so she could turn around and go the opposite direction of where Bunny sat.

"_I can't believe I just did that, again!" _Bridget almost felt like doing a victory dance but decided against it. "Here is a tea for you too Bunny. I had no idea how to put carrots into it so I just put them on the side for you."

"No, worries Sheila. I can take what I can get." Bunny blew on his cup and daintily took a drink from it. He noticed Bridget looking at him with an odd smile. "What? Never seen someone sip tea before?"

Bridget covered her mouth, attempting to hide her laugh. "Not from you." She picked up her tray and widened her smile. "I'm can barely remember you as a tough guy anymore though."

"I am still a tough pooka," Bunny insisted. He almost spilled his tea when he jumped up. He pushed it aside as delicately. Bridget's smile turned into a smug look. "This. Proves. Nothing."

The other Guardians did their best to hide **their **laughter that made Bunny even more irritated.

"You can't find a good excuse Bunny," Jack said after recovering from laughing. "I saw how much attention you were soaking up from Annie earlier."

"He's right you know." North grinned. "I saw that you enjoyed that rub of belly she did for you."

Bunny drooped his ears in embarrassment.

"Now you all stop." Tooth reprimanded them. "He could act like his normal self with Annie babying him." Her eyes started to sparkle in mirth. "Because we all know he looks better with a pink bow."

Everyone started to laugh at this, earning resented looks from a glowering Bunny.

"Someday one of you'll be the size of a toddler and I'll be the one laughing." Bunny grumbled. Bridget patted his little head for good measure.

"Is that a threat I'm hear? Guys I'm being threaten, I feel threatened." Jack waved his arms around in mock worry, earning a few more chuckles.

"Don't worry, Bunny. Even if you're adorable right now remember it's your best arsenal yet." Bridget said in hopes of brightening the pooka's mood.

Bunny chuckled darkly but said nothing as he continued drinking his tea.

"And last, but not least, Jack." Bridget brought her tray to Jack with a one last mug. "This one was the trickiest with having to cool down the tea and putting some ice."

Jack accepted the porcelain cup and took a swig. Bridget noticed Jack smacking his lips and a little bit of pink flesh poke though. A small blush appeared on Bridget while she started to smile stupidly.

"_Oh, he can smack his lips with me anytime-WHOA~! What the hell am I thinking? DIRTY THOUGHTS! __**Dirty thoughts!" **_Bridget quickly banished those evil cogitations away. "Is it good?" She smiled widely, trying to look and sound like everything was normal. _"Did my voice just squeak?"_

Jack glanced at Bridget; unaware of what torture he was putting her though and nodded. "Sure. I think you put a little mint leaf in here, right?"

"Mm-hmm," Bridget decided to keep her mouth shut to prevent further squeaking.

"But I can't figure out the other flavor that's in it."

Bridget swallowed and took a deep mental breather to calm her raging heart. "Oh, um I put some blueberries into the mix. I figured it would add a zing to the taste."

Jack licked his lips, clearly showing more tongue than Bridget would admittingly say, and replied, "It's good but," he made a slight face.

"But?" Bridget tilted her head in worry.

"No offense, but I'm not a huge fan of blueberries. I like appl-" his eyes widened momentarily before he muttered something incoherently and turned away from Bridget.

"You like what?"

Jack glanced at her with his face suspiciously looking a tad purple and mumbled something under his breath before taking another sip. The last thing he wanted was for her to know about his fascination with her hair scent.

"C'mon, Jack what is it?"

"Nuthin'"

"Jack, that's not a real answer."

The frost spirit remained silent and stared blankly at the ground. Finding no weak points to strike Bridget rolled her eyes in defeat. "Someday I'll know what flavor you like, Jack. You are putting yourself into a really bad situation; keeping a secret of what your taste buds enjoy from me…it'll lead to disastrous effects." Even though Bridget mostly spoke in repartee she still believed in her threat.

"I'm sure he'll take those chances." Bunny replied dryly.

"Whatever," Bridget folded her arms before uncrossing them again. "But I just thought of something."

The Guardians, even Jack, turned their attention to her.

"When I was with the Kellys tonight I felt really grateful for all the things they did for me. And it made me feel bad, I did nothing for them and that's not right. I want do them something real special and I would like your help with that."

"Like vhat?" North asked, his voice full of curiosity.

Bridget smiled, her gray eyes brightened like a glowing tree. It was the very same spark that Jack loved to look at. "Something magical."

* * *

"Granny!" Annie's voice clamored through the halls. Granny Kelly opened her eyes lightly before she sighed. "Is there something the matter, Gariníon?"

"I can't find Bridget!" Soft blue eyes were fully opened.

"What?" Granny pushed herself off of her bed, using a hand on the bedpost to lift herself up. Annie came tumbling in with tears threatening to pour down her face. "Calm down dear." Granny went up to her sorrowful grandchild. "Wipe those tears away and tell me everything."

"She wasn't in my room," Annie said distressfully. Her eyes were puffy and red while her voice sounded strangled. "I checked the bathroom but she wasn't there either. I-I even checked Danny's room but she wasn't there at all." The tears fell and Annie sobbed.

Granny frowned and held Annie in her arms as well as a woman her age could. "There, there I'm sure she had her reasons." She really hoped Bridget did have a reason to break Annie's heart. She hadn't seen her granddaughter cry this much since the news of Danny's disappearance was announced. The poor girl didn't stop crying for about a week. Granny did none because she needed to be strong for her only Gariníon.

A few minutes passed and the sound of Annie's cries started to cease. Her shoulders stopped shaking and stilled. Granny brushed a few strands from her granddaughter's face and gave her a soft smile. "Do you feel better now?"

Annie shook her head once.

Granny sighed. "Well let's get something in you. Some food in you should do you some good." Annie clutched her grandmother's hand like a lifeline and followed her.

To say what they saw next was truly beyond belief. The very moment they walked through the living room to pass into the kitchen both of them held looks of awe. Every inch of the room was littered and filled with decorations only found on Christmas cards. The walls were pinned with wreaths stitched with ripened snowberries. Holly and mistletoe dangled over the ceiling without it being excessively extravagant.

Candles build with blue, silver, red, green and gold colors glittered the room in a heavenly glow. Streamers of red and green covered most of the ceiling anywhere the plant bundles could not and remained the most distant away from the flames. Lights from a string of glass balls covered the tree in a multicolor rainbow while each branch sported a modest sized candy cane that Annie had no problem of taking from one and licking at it. From the windows frosted images of lace polished the pane that nearly took Granny's breath away from how beautiful they looked.

"Wow~" Annie gasped in amazement. Her eyes grew wider when she looked under the tree. "Granny, we got presents!"

"Ah," Granny was still in a flummox from the decorations that she didn't even spot several colored wrapped boxes with big bows tied to them. "Oh my Lord and Mary…don't open those gifts, we have no idea where they came from or-"

"There's a note," Annie revealed as she waved an envelope around like a flag. Granny eyed the letter curiously as she gently removed it from Annie's grace and opened to see a note was indeed written inside.

"It's written all funny."

"That's because it's in cursive, sweetie, I am amazed by Bridget's handwriting-"

"It's from her?" Annie asked eagerly. Granny nodded as she skimmed through the paper. Her eyebrows were raised as she started to read. She sat down on the couch (covered with a brand new blanket with candy canes and ribbon patches stitched on the red fabric) then motioned Annie to sit alongside her.

"'Dear, Annie and her wonderful granny…. I apologize for leaving so suddenly. For most of my life I never thought I would find such kindness outside of the books that I so lovingly read. But my time in Burgess and here with you proved that wrong. I was nothing more than a stranger and yet you welcomed me with open arms and treated me like one of your own. If what I just wrote confused you, that is because I was writing to both you AND the Burgess family that took me in, so take that into account.' This girl is quite eccentric." Granny laughed.

"Keep reading." Annie said.

"Right, right. 'I apologize in the future for more weird writing choices. Moving on, I always had a love for Christmas since I was a little girl. It was the first holiday I was exposed to and learned early on that during this time of year people always found a way to be kind and caring to one another. You proved that notion last night for me and gave me a good feeling of joy and happiness. I a part of me almost wished I could have stayed.'"

"And why not?" Annie asked with a pout.

Granny gave Annie a look, the look to silence talkative grandchildren with, and resumed reading.

"'But the longer I was with you the more I realized how many others out there must feel….'" The grandmother felt her eyes grow wet as she slowly dabbed them down. "'Like a piece of them was lost when their child was taken from them this past month. I wish I could tell why I needed to leave but for reasons that cannot be explained under NORMAL circumstances I can't. The friends I spoke of need me to help them with something very important. All I can say about it is that we are doing something that might change everything. If we fail, or bring everything back the way it's supposed to be for everyone else. I had them help me with creating and putting the decorations into your living room, but NO I swear we took nothing from you. All we did was give you what you see here. I know it isn't enough to fill the void of losing your-your Danny Boy,' oh my… 'But let this be my way of saying thank you to how kind you have been for me. I wish the merriest of Christmases and advise you to keep BELIEVING. Don't let what other people say get you down, if they think magic is gone in the world then let them keep that belief, it is their loss for not seeing the true wonder, hope, sweet memories, dreams, and true fun that the world has to offer. Lot's of love, Bridget. Just Bridget, nothing else…'"

Granny squinted at the edge of the paper and looked at it quizzically. "Hmm, I'm not sure what the letters, N. S. T. B. and NL stand for. Oh and a_JF _is there also. I am assuming these must be Bridget's friends and herself counting the B I believe."

"Or it could be her pet bunny," Annie suggested. "She said the rabbit's name was Bunny."

Granny laughed. "Such an unusual name for a bunny rabbit."

* * *

Outside of the frosted window a group watched the heartwarming sight. Sandy was proud to see all the hard work they did make the humans smile. Bridget had come up with a wonderful plan, thought Sandy. It worked out well since North did have a few left over objects in his toy sack. Who knew it would also carry Christmas decorations?

"I still don't get how you were able to glow up those balls Nightlight." Bridget spoke with great wonderment. The spectral boy glowed with a hint of pride and mimed out how he did it, leading Bridget more confused than she originally was.

"I was afraid that we'd wake them up when I almost dropped that one wreath," Tooth spoke out of relief. Sandy was the one who had to catch the wreath before it was an inch from the ground.

"But Sandy caught it just in time." Bunny countered. The Sandman nodded eagerly and gave Tooth a cheering smile. The fairy smiled faintly.

"And ve got it all done before the leetle girl could vake up." North smiled happily. "Oh to see some much wonder in that child's eyes vas a gift all on its own."

"I think her **seeing **the gifts you left her was my favorite part," Jack smiled. He patted the ground with his staff, creating a few more feathered-styled frost patterns. Sandy rolled his eyes in amusement after hearing Jack's comment.

"It was nice to see both of them happy." Bridget said. "It's not enough to replace Danny but I'm sure-"

"They loved the present you left them," North finished. He smiled kindly at Bridget and adjusted the Santa hat she was wearing. She had worn the cap since they started placing the gifts, claiming it was meant to be festive.

Bridget turned beet red, the color nearly matching her hair and the hat. If it weren't for the white faux-fur lining around the hat her head would look a lot longer than normal. "You guys helped. A lot. If it weren't for you to make those decorations and presents, there would be nothing."

"You came up with the idea," Tooth added while placing a hand on Bridget's back. "You did a very good thing."

"So did you guys." Bridget insisted. She felt uncomfortable with the idea of taking all the credit. "North even wrote the letter for me since I don't know how to write."

"Something we'll also need to work on." Jack spoke under his breath. Sandy looked at the winter spirit in bewilderment. The taller Guardian sputtered something else and spent most of his time **not **turning his head near the later one's direction. Sandy remained silent. As usual.

"Did ya see how many times it took for him to write it in proper English?" Bunny asked in good humor. "It took longer than the whole decorating project." The pooka chuckled.

North gave Bunny a dour look before changing the subject by announcing that they all needed to leave to start the search for the true Stone of Fáil.

"This is going to be a long~ day." Bridget sighed.

"What else is new?" Jack deadpanned after they both got into the cart. North pulled Petrov by the leash and strapped the reindeer back in place before he climbed into the cart, tilting it with his weight with a great pull downward until he was in the middle.

Sandy raised an eyebrow at North who was climbing up toward the driver's seat. When the former Cossack noticed him, North chuckled sheepishly. "Right. Leetle Girl, you are needed to steer cart again."

Bridget nodded and quickly scrambled to the front seat. "You better put the quilt on again guys. You too Jack. We can't be too careful about kids believing in you or not."

"Should it really matter?" Jack complained. "I'm the most normal looking out all of us. I wouldn't stand out sitting next to Bridget."

"You have white hair and barefoot," Bunny retorted in annoyance. "How is that the least noticeable? And should we mention that the clothes you wear aren't usually what people where during cold climates."

Jack frowned blankly at Bunny but said nothing. He (reluctantly) remained where he was and sat with a slight pout. Sandy fought the urge to laugh. No matter how many years Jack would gain, he would always be the most childish out of all the Guardians.

* * *

The next day was nothing less than a failure. None of the Guardians or Bridget was close to finding a clue to where the stone could be let alone where in Kildare it was aforementioned located at. They searched everywhere humanly and magically possible. The land all over Kildare was explored and every stone of any size was left unturned again.

"Nothing," Bridget sighed for the millionth time that day. She paced back and forth with each step adding more for her irritation. "Nothing was found and we only have until the day after tomorrow, which-may I remind you-is the Winter Solstice." She groaned in frustration. "How can we be so close and yet so far at the same freakin' time? This is so not fair." The redhead glowered in irritation before she stared at the sky. Even with the ghoulish barrier enveloping the sky Bridget could see the near waxing gibbous moon. It was almost full but wasn't fully visible on its right.

Like all the other nights the moon stayed silent, its presence being there but never speaking. Bridget didn't know why she bothered talking to it-him but somehow she felt better after a good rant. It was venting toward an-what she always thought was-inanimate object that made her feel better after a long day of falling short. She did sot of wish that the moon did talk to her or at least give a sign of what she was going was right. Maybe even a moonbeam to lead her to the right direction could be of use? Bridget needed some kind of answer.

"_Maybe I'm asking the wrong person?" _Bridget looked pitifully at the earth's round satellite. _"There could be some answers from the Guardians. I should really learn to ask help from them more often anyways…but what good could that do for me either? Someday (meaning the day after tomorrow) I'll become a…grown-up." _Bridget shuddered at the use of that word. _"And there's the possibility that I won't be able to…to," _her mind trailed off as she felt a lump thicken around her throat again.

"_Nothing is going to happen," _Bridget repeated to herself. _"Nothing is going to happen. Nothing is __**going **__to happen." _

"You okay?" Bridget lost her train of chanting the moment Jack's voice came into her mind. She opened her eyes to see Jack standing right near her.

Bridget tried to sigh but her throat was too sore from her yelling earlier. She was even too tired to jump away from Jack. "I guess." Her voice sounded like her throat had been grinded with sandpaper; it even felt like it was.

"Hard day?"

"Probably one of the biggest understatements ever said." Bridget sighed. "How can we win if we only have three of the four treasures?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know." He smiled pleasantly. "Maybe things will look up in the morning. It'll be a new day."

Bridget looked at him with a tired expression. "I doubt it." She stretched her arms over her head and yawned loudly. "It's late…. I think I'm calling it a night."

"Okay, then." There was a hint in Jack's voice that Bridget believed sounded like reluctance. She wasn't sure what he was reluctant about but she decided to not go into it.

* * *

The campground that North had set up was perfect to say the least. It was a good distance from the village with no one being able to find them. The group slept soundly with no disturbances to affect them in sleep. Or at least for everyone except for Bridget. She was sleeping soundly inside her sleeping bag; enjoying the warmth it gave her until she felt something prodding. Her weight shifted around before she realized who the intruder was. Sal crawled out of the bag with little effort by pushing his tiny toes out and slipping out of the bag. He blinked one eyelid at a time and then looked over at Bridget.

He was giving her a look as if asking permission to leave. It had become apparent to Bridget and Jack that Sal was a little more intelligent than they originally thought. While he was a sentient being he didn't talk or show much signs of being smart. In fact Sal barely showed signs of being brainy unless Bridget paid close attention to see that he was. The gazes he gave her, like the one he was giving her now, was a subtle example.

She smiled sleepily at him but nodded her head like she was saying 'go ahead.' The salamander hopped away and scurried near the dying fire. He lay over the burning embers and glowed a bright blue.

"_Perhaps he's smarter than he leads on?" _Bridget thought lightly before she started to doze off.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice of Jack was heard moments later. Bridget sighed. She decided that sleeping was never going to be in her graces again.

"And why not, if I may ask?" Bridget muttered while trying to not sound annoyed.

"For a surprise," Jack spoke in an almost singsong voice. He grinned widely before he pulled her arms up.

"Whoa, whoa." Bridget struggled into a downward position and pushed herself back in her bag. "The fist night we actually get a cold front and **you **want **me **get out of the comfort of my sleeping bag?"

Jack nodded, his grin still visible. "Of course."

"I am going to regret asking this, but why? Why is it so important that I come out of the comfort of my sleeping bag into the cold weather?"

"Do you want to know how it got so cold?" Jack appeared very giddy when he said that, with his grin still apparent, causing Bridget to realize something.

"You made it cold out." It wasn't a question but a statement.

Jack nodded once again. "Took me a while but I think if you get up and let me show you what I did you'll be impressed."

Bridget smiled despite of herself, but didn't want to be defeated so easily and decided to play along. "Oh really? And what pray tell could it be?"

"A surprise." Jack answered before adverting his eyes and turning away. "If you need to get dressed that's fine with me, I won't watch."

"What a gentlemen." Bridget rolled her eyes but didn't hold much sarcasm in her voice. With slight reluctance Bridget dragged out of her sleeping bag and pulled her coat on. She sighed gratefully at how clean it felt since Granny placed it in the watch less than two days ago. She was even more grateful that she got to take a shower that took much of the grime and dirt that pasted her skin and hair since the last time she bathed.

"Okay," Bridget brushed her hair, using her fingers and placed her glasses on. "But first things first I WHOA-" she was startled the moment Jack grabbed her hand and led her down a path. "Where are we going?"

Jack led the way with a huge grin. "Someplace fun."

Bridget frowned momentarily and deadpanned, "You do remember we have an important mission."

"Yeah," he gave her a soft look before continuing. "But you've stressing out since the…rock incident. The only time you actually acted like your old self was back with Annie and her grandma."

The frown remained on Bridget's face, this time not out of exasperation but more slightly unhappy. "I had to be around them. I couldn't look all serious or it would lead to questions."

"No excuses," Jack rebutted. "I can't have you being all gloom and doom. Sometimes a person needs to let go when they're too stressed out, and I'm going to help you with that."

She wanted to disapprove at what Jack said but clamped her mouth shut when she realized how right he was. Bridget had been worrying too much over everything lately. Her constant screwing up at practice, her weird connection with the spear, the bizarre visions, and firepowers…

"_When will the answers finally come?" _Bridget thought to herself. Sometime later she began to notice the sky wasn't very dark anymore. Stars began to fade in and out while the sky gradually turned a murky gray. _"Sunrise is approaching." _Bridget thought gloomily. She was going to miss it. The first time in, who knew how many years and she was going to miss seeing the sunrise.

"Here we are." Jack proclaimed minutes later. Bridget eyed him curiously as to where they were. All they did was walk even further into the forest their camp was in. Trees surrounded the two and went all different directions with only one path in front of them. She eyed the pathway curiously, wondering where it might lead.

"What exactly is 'here?'" Bridget squinted her eyes. She mentally sighed after seeing the crack in her glasses again. She swore that the crack was getting longer.

"Well not here but further there," Jack pointed toward the path. "I'm gonna need you to cover your eyes for the next part."

Bridget pursed her lips and then quirked a smile. "Is this going to another training location?" She almost sounded hopeful when she asked that.

Jack shook his head. "No. No training is happening today. I told you. You need to re-learn the fundamentals of fun." He gently took her hand. "But first I need your eyes closed."

Bridget sighed but complied. With closed eyes she allowed Jack to lead her to whatever destination he had planned. Their fingers laced each other in a comfortable mold that brought goosebumps on her hand. It was not the cold that brought shivers down Bridget's spine. _"I have to tell him." _Bridget thought determinedly._ "Tell him how much I missed this." _

"Almost there. Just a few more-oh watch that root-yeah the one right there and~ stop!"

Bridget halted abruptly and nearly bumped into Jack. He held her steady and told her to open her eyes. The moment she did, she saw what she would remember the rest of her days as the most beautiful sight of all.

Sunlight cracked over the land in a triumphant dawn. The sun glowed brightly as each wave of light manifested over the horizon and inched the grassy ground. Only instead of grass the light beamed over white powder that Bridget knew well enough was snow. Snow covered the entire landscape like flour that somehow also found a way to glitter like diamonds. More light covered the ground as it reached a long sliver that Bridget realized was a frozen river the very moment sunlight ran across it. Despite her desire to never stop looking at the breathtaking countryside Bridget needed to thank the very person who made all this.

"This was all you?" Bridget was certain Jack did it but she still wanted to know for sure.

Jack smiled sincerely and nodded. He placed his staff to the ground and waved his arms. "Surprise! I made this an importune-Your Day for you!"

"'Your Day?'" Bridget quirked a brow, confused by the choice of words.

"Everything you want to do today, we'll do it." His smile lessened but did not go away completely. "Think of it as the last day of full-on kid fun. You did say that…December 21st was the day you were found right?"

"You remembered that?" She almost felt like choking in disbelief. Bridget didn't think Jack had paid that much attention when she talked about her depressing past.

Glacier blue eyes looked at her with great sincerity. "Yes, I'd never forget. Not when it's the last day before you…well you know."

"_Turn 18." _Bridget finished sadly. No one still knew what would happen on that day. Whether she would still be able to see the Guardians was a great conundrum. None of them could even remember the last time they had someone believe as long as she had.

"Well," Bridget started up with hopes of brightening up the mood. "We should get started then shall we?"

Jack teasingly bowed to her while he picked his staff from the ground. "If that's what milady wants."

"Oh honestly," Bridget moaned mockingly despite her reddening face. She needed a moment or two to calm down until she suggested. "I know you just showed me this awesome view of your…work but do you think we can go into town? I didn't get to see much of it the other day and I would really like to see it with all of this snow on it." She furrowed her forehead momentarily. "If you did put snow there."

"No," Jack admitted before he grinned widely. "But you can see me do it. Making the snow I mean."

"Really!" Bridget widened her eyes in excitement. She never did see him bring out actual snow before. She saw him frost and ice the ground back on their first training day but never seen him form one snowflake. None of the snow in Santoff Claussen counted because that appeared on its own according to a disgruntled Jack ("How can snow just appear like that by itself?" He had asked the second day they appeared in the enchanted village, noticing snow falling without him conjuring at first. "I didn't make any of this. I didn't even know this place existed until yesterday." The remainder of the day nearly came with a blizzard if Tooth hadn't reprimanded him).

Again Jack nodded. "But why don't we take the scenic route?"

"Scenic-" Bridget only had that much time to react when Jack grabbed her by the waist, earning a surprised giggle, and sat down on a flat plank. The redhead looked at what her rear-end was sitting on and gasped in surprise.

"Is this a sled made from ice?"

"Made it myself before bringing you here." Jack answered rather smugly. His expression soon became serious as he lean down behind her. "Now keep your hands on the front of the board and have your back lean down slightly."

Bridget complied and bended down. "Don't worry I've done this before, remember?"

"To be honest I though you were joking about the whole 'sledding while still blind' thing."

"I didn't** always** go by myself." Bridget defended.

"'Always?'"

Bridget brushed the question away. "Okay, so I lean to the left to go left and the same thing happens if I lean right, right?"

Jack smiled. "You** do** know your stuff."

Bridget smiled in return. "Let's really see what I got." With a shove Bridget pushed the sled down as it slid over the snowy ground and into the snow. Almost like a well-oiled machine Bridget and Jack slanted to the right to avoid the icy river.

"Whoa," Bridget gasped in surprise as they neared the edge and started to slide over the wall in a bobsled-like fashion.

"Keep low and wait until we get low enough to land on the ground again." His voice was surprisingly even when he whispered in Bridget's ear. Under different circumstances Bridget would've fainted or shot fire, whichever came first.

"Right," Bridget squeaked in reply. Seconds of ice and snow passed through them until the sled gradually began to lower down.

"Now," Jack called out. In a matter of seconds the sled landed on the flat ground with a minor bump. Bridget laughed in relief and sighed. "That was pretty good."

"We're not done yet." Jack grinned mischievously as he lowered his staff in front of the sled. Ice shot out of the wood and formed onto the ground creating a perfect ice road. Their sled glided over the ice with precision and agility that Bridget never felt from sledding before.

"If this is anything like the sled rides you give Jamie, I better not lose a tooth." Bridget warned playfully while they took off over a freshly made ramp. She felt his arms around her tightened slightly which honestly made her feel a lot happier than anything.

Jack laughed and smiled reassuringly. "Nothing like that will happen, I promise."

"I believe you."

She really did.

* * *

"SNOW DAY!" Jack called out while the two rode on the sled through town. With each wave from his crooked staff Jack created snow flurries to fly everywhere around them. The air became nipping cold that made people their sled dodge around wrap around their coats tightly.

Bridget gawked in amazement at how much snow appeared. Clouds covered the sky, as more snow appeared overhead. "I didn't know you could make snow appear while on the ground."

Jack grinned cockily. "Yeah well I can make snow happen anywhere that's cold enough for it." He enjoyed that he was impressing Bridget, another added bonus from giving her the Best-Last-Day-Before-You-Have-To-Grow-Up-Day, or the 'Your Day' as Jack had aforementioned earlier. They traveled across the countryside around Kildare snow and ice following Jack at every way. More and more children came pouring outside to play in the snow as their watchful parents looked on with slight concern and worry.

"Should've known." Bridget rolled her eyes and shook her head. When the sled finally reached the center of town Jack slowed the sled down enough for him and Bridget to get off. The moment they did Jack waved his hand over the sled and it faded away into the freshly fallen snow. "That's something I don't see everyday."

"Just one of my tricks that I only show to a select few." Jack waved his staff a few times and more snow began to fall around. "So, what do you want to do first?"

"I don't know." Bridget answered after a few minutes of thinking. "I guess walking around could be a start. I really would like to look at the village. We didn't get the chance to do that at all the others we passed by before coming here."

"If that's what milady wants." Jack bowed again and smiled in amusement when he saw Bridget getting flustered again. He loved seeing her reaction the first time and had to say it again.

"Oh honestly." Bridget blushed a deep shade of red and looked at everything that wasn't Jack. "Where do you come up with stuff like that?"

That question made Jack taken back slightly. It was his turn to get slightly flustered. "It was…something my dad use call my mom, okay." Bridget looked at him with a look he was unfamiliar with. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly until felt something warm and soft on his…cheek? He turned his attention back toward Bridget and saw her blushing deeper than before.

"I think that's very sweet." Bridget blinked several times and was breathing heavily. She was about ready to burry her face in her hood when Jack took her hand.

"Weren't we going to look around town first, before you decide to pretend you're a turtle I mean?" He asked in what he hoped was in a smooth voice. Jack felt bold enough to stroke his thumb over her fingers. Exactly as he imagined Bridget became a shade of apple red and attempted to act calm. "S-sure, let's get going." Her voice sounded very adorable tried to sound composed even when her ruffled appearance said otherwise.

* * *

Walking around Kildare village was probably more fun than Wexford in Bridget's opinion. Despite there being no ocean view Bridget thought the town had charm with being smaller more peaceful and less noisy. The people were very polite and nice to her when she asked for directions on specific places, even a few suggested different routes that would be less difficult for her to walk. And with that newfound knowledge Bridget and Jack had an enjoyable morning and afternoon. Bridget was the one mostly in charge of the places the duo went to and from. Jack did lead her to a shop that sold sweets, making the girl go very hungry and into realization that she didn't have anything to eat. That was when Jack brought out Tooth's coin bag from his hoodie-coat pocket. Bridget was mad at him for a while after that but her stomach won the war and made her submit to eating a meal 'paid' by Tooth's patronage.

After eating, the two spent time walking around Kildare Village with all the shops. Bridget enjoyed browsing around them with all the Christmas decorations on display in the windows and colorful atmosphere surrounding the area. When she suggested checking out the Japanese Garden next Jack had a ball there. Freezing the ponds, creating icicles on the red bridge, he even got to cover an entire cheery tree in ice and snow that made the whole tree appear to be pure white. Bridget unfortunately did not get to witness any of it because the garden was closed due to the unexpected snowdrift. Still, the rest of the day was eventful with plenty of more sights the two got to see together.

The last place they saw was the Cathedral with the lone tower. Bridget wanted to save that place for last when Jack mentioned there was going to be a 'Part 2' of his surprise.

"I'm sure it'll be great," Bridget said optimistically.

"You bet it will." Jack replied with a smile. "So why do you want to see this church so badly?"

Bridget thought feverishly for an answer. "I think because I haven't exactly seen one like that before." Her steps faltered for a moment before she added. "I also felt something..."

Jack slowed his walking too. "Like what?"

Bridget pursed her lips. She almost wanted to talk about the weird déjà vu-vibes she had been getting since arriving in Ireland that was part of her flashbacks. But a part of her insisted that wouldn't be a good thing to bring up, fearing it would ruin the mood and all. "Nothing. Never mind."

Jack didn't look all that convinced. He examined her momentarily but soon shrugged it off. "Fine, usually most girls would think old things are boring anyway."

"I think you personally prove that to be wrong, Jack." Bridget grinned and smiled widely after seeing his reaction moments later.

* * *

Going to the Cathedral wasn't as bad as Jack had originally thought. Okay, he did admit that he didn't hang out around churches for a reason, with them being creepy looking and a weak number of kids running around, but at least the church was warm with a few tourist crowds still hanging around.

"As you all know, Kildare Cathedral was founded 1223 A.D., even though it was dedicated several centuries earlier in 430 A.D. by the original saint that had built a more modest wooden establishment here." A tour guide spoke to his group with well-knowledgeable esteem. Bridget and Jack sat not too far from the group while the redhead listened animatedly during most of the tour. Jack kept his attention every once in a while by staring at random objects. He smiled widely when he spotted one stone carving that most people in church would frown upon seeing. He was about to show Bridget his finding when a tourist raised her hand at the guide.

"Is it true that one of the Saints of Ireland made her home here?"

The tour guide smiled as if the woman asked the right question. "That is certainly true. Just as I was about to say, this very church we are standing in is the very same abbey that was led by one of the three patron saints of Ireland."

"And wasn't that the name of a goddess also?" The same person asked again.

"Yes in," the guide trailed off, trying to find the right word and said, "pagan mythology there was a goddess the Celts had worshipped with a similar name-but entirely different existences-now if I can direct your attention toward…" the guide dropped the pagan god conversation after that and focused more of the architecture.

"But isn't there a well in the outskirts of town? And is it meant for the goddess or for the saint?" The woman asked persistently. Jack did look at the woman in slight confusion. He never spent time looking at women before but he could have sworn that the woman was a blonde by looking at the back of her head but was now sporting a hairdo of black instead. Bridget seemed to notice the same thing too and glanced at him in confusion. He shrugged his shoulders, signaling that he had no idea for the oddity either.

The tour guide sighed; attempting to not sound exasperated continued to ignore the woman, and resumed talking about what was so important about the buttresses in one corner of the church and why solid oak stalls were essential for the singing choir.

"Boy that guy looked like he was about to blow his top," Jack snickered, his previous bewilderment having gone away.

"I wonder why that woman wanted to know about the comparison of the saint here and a goddess?" Bridget asked after what looked like deep thinking to Jack.

The winter spirit shrugged, "Probably some wiccan enthusiast or a historian buff, who cares? There's still Part 2 of the day we need to do."

Bridget laughed as Jack half-dragged her down the front doors while avoiding a few nuns along the way. "Okay Mr. Bossy away we go!"

The two of them laughed even more when a passing nun shushed Bridget for her inability to hold her tongue.

* * *

A long day of fun soon rolled into a late afternoon as the sun began to set behind Bridget and Jack. The winter spirit lead Bridget through a path in-between the town and the campsite that seemed to go on and on in Bridget's opinion. A part of her wished Jack could just make another sled to ride down on.

"But that would ruin the surprise, and we don't want that." Jack said right after she suggested that.

"Can we at least use it the moment we're done?" Bridget asked nervously. "The others must be upset that we wasted one of searching the stone." She groaned after realizing what she just said. She slapped her forehead, "We were gone all day and they spent it worry over us."

"Not exactly," Jack drawled out with a slightly smug look. Bridget eyed him curiously until Jack said, "Someone could've, hypothetically, asked a favor from the Sandman and, hypothetically, had him put a trunk load of dreamsand over everyone, and, hypothetically, convinced Nightlight that waking them up would be a very bad thing to do."

Bridget stared at him in disbelief. "You didn't?!"

Jack smiled innocently and placed his hands behind his back. "Maybe?"

Instead of yelling at him for doing something so stupid Bridget felt a tug of admiration inside her. Probably from all the snowball fights they got themselves into earlier was finally catching up to her, or remembering all the other times Jack tricked around came into mind made Bridget look at him with a sort of devilish awe. "That is so evil of you. I'm worried that my interference in your life is making you behave this way."

"So, you're not mad at me?" Jack smiled slightly.

Bridget shook her head. "Oh I am. I really am. So much that I might yell at you for being so reckless and stupid but I'm in way too much of a high from today to be angry right now."

Jack grinned in relief. "Good, because you need to save your energy for one last fun thing for today."

"Should I even ask by this point?" Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Nope, but I do like the reaction you give me for it." Jack feigned a wince when Bridget nudged his shoulder. "I'm not sure what the right name to call you by this point either."

"Again, good." Jack lead Bridget to a hill covered his snow. "Over this hill is something that took me all night to make so you better not getting all nip-picky at what looks nice and what isn't."

"I don't do that," Bridget defended as she started to walk. Jack stopped her and clasped both of her hands. "I know you don't," he spoke softly. "Just don't be too negative about it, okay?"

Bridget could hear how vulnerable when he asked. _"He must've put a lot of effort for today for me. I better not say anything bad then." _ She nodded to his request and agreed to close her eyes when he asked her to moments later. _"All part of the surprise no doubt." _His hands laced themselves around her again as he walked forward, leading her to whatever the surprise was. But before she closed them Bridget remembered seeing the crack on her glasses. A pang of worry mixed with guilt swirled inside her. _"I really hope that if I close my eyes I can still see after this." _

Her dark thoughts went away when Jack whispered, "Open them." When Bridget opened her eyes she was graced with the most magnificent sight she had ever seen. It was even more beautiful than what she saw this morning. A pond surrounded by trees enveloped Bridget's gaze with the ice being so clear and bright that it was like literally looking at a mirror. Everywhere she looked the landscape was covered in snow. The trees were covered with ice that glistened in the same manner as the cheery tree did. The only difference was that these trees where actually white on the outside. No snow was falling around them but the air felt crisp and cold with the fresh air. Bridget looked over at Jack as he smiled and jerked his head foreword almost like he was saying, 'Go ahead' himself. She took a step forward and took in the familiar feeling of shoes crunching in the snow. After another step passed and she couldn't contain herself as she ran down the hill and stopped only a few inches from the ice. She grinned widely as she looked down at the water. Her reflection looked crystal clear, as did the rest of the ice that clung to the tree branches above her. They gleamed so brightly that Bridget almost mistook them for stars except she remembered that the sky wasn't even dark yet.

"This is…" Bridget trailed off; no words could describe how she felt about the beautiful sight before her.

"A good present huh?" Jack walked beside her, completely pleased with her reaction.

Bridget could only nod. She turned to him with a surprised expression. "This is all for me?"

Jack could barely hold his laugh. "Yeah, this is **Your Day** after all, but it's not the whole thing."

"What could be better than this?" Bridget asked. Jack kneeled down to where Bridget's shoes were and looked at them. "Why are you staring at my feet?"

"I'm gonna need you to sit down." Jack spoke casually.

"Why?"

"It's part of the surprise."

Bridget sighed. That was his excuse for most of the day. "Fine, I'll sit."

The moment she sat Jack went toward her feet and blew on the soles. In a matter of seconds two perfectly carved ice skates appeared made completely out of ice. If Bridget had not seen more bizarre or incredible sights she would have been floored by what Jack just did. The only thing she took notice of was that despite wearing the frozen blades she was **still **shorter than Jack. "You want me to ice skate?"

Jack nodded. "Yep."

Bridget looked at him incredulously. "You should know that I've never ice skated before."

"That's why I'm going to teach you." Jack smiled once more, ignoring the worried look on Bridget.

"Oh this will be a blast," Bridget said sardonically. "Falling butt first onto solid ice sounds like loads of fun."

"You won't fall," Jack promised. "I'll make sure of it."

"I'm going to fall, fall, and fall. And a whole lot of pain will follow."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Now you're just being negative. It's so easy-compared to your training-it'll be a piece of pie."

Bridget couldn't help but smile at his choice of words. She quickly scowled afterwards. "All that training I did, didn't involved walking on ice."

"Bunny's Tai-Chi taught you how to keep balance along with the spear handling." Jack pointed out. "I'll be with you the whole time, I promise."

Bridget looked at him, seeing no signs of mirth, and nodded. She pushed herself up and placed her feet on the ice.

Worst. Mistake. Ever.

Less than a second later Bridget slipped and fell to the snowy ground. Dizzily Bridget groaned in frustration.

Jack smiled weakly. "Sorry," he quickly apologized. "I didn't expect you to fall so fast."

"Oh really?" Bridget eyed him, not believing a single word. She breathed out a puff of air and flicked her braid away from her face. It always landed on her face at the worst times.

"I was supposed to hold onto your hand." Jack explained. He offered his hand to her and she reluctantly accepted it. He pulled her up with both hands and adjusted her so that one foot was one the ice while the other was on solid ground. "Let's try this again. I'll go on the ice first and pull you in, does that sound all right?"

Bridget nodded. Jack stepped onto the ice effortlessly and barely faltering to either side. "Now I need you to walk forward and slide." He kept his hands intertwined with hers leaving no need of her falling again. With shaky legs Bridget pushed forward, her entire body shook violently.

"Don't look at the ground, look at me." Jack commanded gently.

"Easy for you to say." Bridget muttered. "Not everyone has had 300 years of practice."

"Yeah but I wasn't a pro on the ice either," Jack admitted. "I needed sometime before I could properly skate. Just move your feet forward like you're walking."

Bridget gulped nervously but did as he said. Surprisingly she didn't slip down as she thought. Of course her feet felt like lead and she feared her suddenly fat feet would cause her to fall into the ice but Jack showed no signs of worry. "How thick is this pond with ice?"

"About four feet." Bridget widened her eyes in amazement. Jack shrugged. "I spent some time here before coming to wake you up like the other spot."

"Do you ever sleep?"

Jack laughed full heartedly. "Not that much until you joined our group actually."

"Oh," Bridget drooped her head down.

"Hey that's not a bad thing," Jack said reassuringly. "It gives us Guardians plenty of rest and energy." When he saw her smile softly Jack continued with the lesson. "Now let's try moving a little more."

"You won't let go of my hand right?" Bridget asked quickly.

"I won't." Jack held to her left hand and squeezed it comfortably. "Now let's move around a bit." With a push from his bare feet Jack led Bridget through a silent but graceful dance.

With every glide and pull Jack directed Bridget through a series of movements where no music was needed. Bridget didn't wobble or shake as much while time rolled on. They moved forward and back. Sideways and zigzagged across the ice and even jumped once in the air. Bridget almost didn't stick the landing but Jack caught her in the last second. She was in no league near Jack but she did get some sort of hang of it. She was even starting to enjoy herself truly until her braid got stuck in a lower branch.

"I did tell you to duck." Jack defended himself after Bridget glared at him.

"Ugh, I hate when this happens anyway." Bridget growled through seething teeth. The branches were thin and narrow but not thin enough for them to break. Even Jack had some trouble pulling at the braid without hurting Bridget.

After a few minutes of gentle tugs and pulls Jack looked at the braid with a closer look and spotted something rather obvious. "I don't know how to say this but I'm going to need to unclasp the clip and let your hair down."

Bridget widened her eyes. "Seriously. I really don't mind my hair like this. I can just stay like this until spring."

Jack frowned, though his eyes twinkled in amusement. "C'mon you can't stay here forever."

"I can." Bridget insisted.

"I can just-" Jack leaned in until Bridget pushed him away. He gave her a shocked look of surprise.

Bridget bit her lower lip and turned her head away. "I have seen what my hair looks like with it down and it's not a pretty sight."

"It can't be that bad."

"Trust me, it is." Bridget looked at him and sighed. "I'm not what you'd call pretty and my hair looks really weird with the color it is already so-"

"I won't laugh." Jack honestly didn't think there was nothing to worry over. Girls always worried over the most unusually things. First it was getting dirty from his sister, cleaned teeth from Toothiana, and now this? He really didn't expect Bridget to worry over something so, so normal. "Let's just pull it out and we can braid it right after if that'll make you feel any better."

Bridget looked at Jack hesitantly as she slowly brought her hand over her hairclip. She touched the silver metal and mentally winced the moment her hair was freed. She looked over at Jack and sighed when she saw he was staring at her like she had two heads. "I know my hair looks really weird."

* * *

If Jack thought Bridget looked cute with her hair tied up before, he didn't have a valid argument anymore. The moment Bridget's braid fell apart a red veil replaced it. All he saw was a river of flowing satin reaching the middle of Bridget's legs. It was smooth as it was thick, every strand looked so soft and touchable that Jack wanted to pull his fingers between each strand. The only thing that made the heavenly image spoiled was the unhappy look on her face. "It's really weird with it like this, right? Who even has this much hair am I right? I bet even Rapunzel had shorter hair than this." She sighed exasperated. "Will you please stop gaping at me like that? I know this looks-looks-"

"Beautiful."

Bridget blinked several times, trying to comprehend what Jack just uttered. "I'm sorry what?"

Jack grinned, his perfect teeth shinning brightly as the snowy backdrop around them. "Beautiful. You hair I mean." His eyes shined an unusual brightness that Bridget never thought she'd see from him. "Though the rest of you aren't bad either." He circled around her a bit with a small smile on his face that soon grew. "And guess what?"

"What?" Bridget had her tone barely above a whisper.

"You're skating all by yourself."

Bridget looked down and much to her surprise saw that indeed she was standing on her own. Her legs barely wobbled when she took a step forward. "Heh, I'm doing it. I'm actually skat-" she spoke too soon as she flailed with a twist from her feet and fell. Jack caught her in the last minute. The redhead blushed from the sudden contact as her heart beat widely. A lump formed in her throat before it melted away as Jack smiled at her. Their noses barely touched while didn't feel that cold in Jack's embrace anymore.

"Hello." Jack whispered in what Bridget could describe as his sexy voice that he was **so **aware he was using on her.

"H-hello." Bridget whispered back.

"Why are you whispering?" Jack smiled.

"Why are you?" Bridget replied in the same cocky tone he just used.

Jack ignored her counter question and asked cryptically, "Why don't you shut up one moment and look up?"

Bridget was ready to retort until she saw something fluttering above them. She looked up and gasped in amazement. One single snowflake, much larger than normal ones, flew around with life all on its own. Bridget temporally removed her gaze at the frosted flake and raised a curious eyebrow at Jack.

"Take it," Jack said moments later as the snowflake started its descent and drew closer to the couple.

"But it'll melt." Bridget said dumbly right before Jack snickered.

"It won't, trust me."

With one last look Bridget grabbed the snowflake and delicately caught it. She kept her palm flat as possible and made a small noise in surprise. The snowflake did not feel cold on her hand like previous ones, nor did it melt on contact. It was almost like holding glass, only much more beautifully made. The patterns and designs on the flake were so intricate and complex that Bridget had some trouble to believe that the snowflake was made by anything less than a miracle. The six-pointed snowflake had an unusual design on each tip was a three forked tongue image that almost looked like a flame. Below the recognizable images Bridget saw more familiar designs with knots woven into intricate lines that weaved into one another. Connected to the snow crystal lied a thin chain with a hook attached to it.

Bridget was at a loss for words. "I-I-I." Well, words that had more than one letter in them.

"I hope you like it," Jack replied. "'Cause that snowflake is very special."

"How is it special?" Bridget eventually asked.

"This one," Jack pointed at the snowy flurry, "Is the first Snowflake of Winter."

"'First Snowflake of Winter?'" Bridget looked around at the snowfall around them with a confused expression.

"I mean the first snowflake to fall the moment winter officially starts." Jack brushed his fingers against Bridget's while she took in the sudden revelation.

"It's the first…. It's midnight?"

Jack nodded and squinted toward the sky. "According to the alignment of the moon it became midnight at least a few minutes ago technically but you understand, right?"

"I think so," Bridget honestly didn't know much about the moon's movements as well as the sun so part of what Jack spoke was difficult to follow. But what became more difficult was her trying to look at the chain and figure out its meaning. "What's the chain supposed to be for? Not that I don't like it or anything but I'm sure why it's needed."

Jack held a look that was a cross between nervousness and excitement as he explained, "The snowflake is what you would call a charm, if you will, and the chain you can wrap it around to anything."

Bridget frowned slightly while staring at the snowflake. "That makes sense only the problem is I don't have anything pretty to-what are you taking out of your pocket?" She noticed Jack was pulling something out of his hoodie and her jaw dropped the moment she saw what it was.

In Jack's hands was the golden torc bracelet. "Now you do have something pretty for the charm."

For several minutes Bridget couldn't find any words to speak. Every type of feelings swelled through her that it was impossible to comprehend anything else. Why did Jack have her bracelet? How did he get? How long had he had it in his possession? Why did he have it in his possession? These questions with no answers kept swarming in her head.

"How did-how did you-where did you-why is it," Bridget was unable to speak properly. Jack raised a hand up, silencing the girl for a moment.

"I know this looks really confusing but if you just let me explain that would be really helpful."

Bridget nodded and kept her mouth closed.

"This was why I wasn't able to be around anyone for the last few nights."

"Wait, wait!" Bridget suddenly recomposed herself. "You mean to tell me the reason you kept avoiding me was because you went on a possible little game of find the shiny?"

"Well I-" Jack started.

"Don't you dare!" Bridget glared. "I am on a roll right now. You spent every night looking for my gold bracelet? How could you think that the Leprechaun would even waltz around near after the fiasco we had with-" Bridget became silent when Jack pulled out another object from his pocket. It was something she had never seen before and looked rather unusual. A cylinder made from what appeared to be gold with a flat side with colored tiles over it. On the circle side showed an image of a brown haired boy with hazel eyes who Bridget could only squint at to figure out whom it was. "This is…was this you?" Bridget looked at Jack with disbelief.

Jack nodded, one hand still in the coat. "That was me from when I was young. Before I became Jack Frost."

Bridget smiled slightly. "You really did look a little like Jamie."

"Can was focus on the tooth box?" Jack asked in slight amusement, not once sounding impatient.

"Sorry I-wait 'tooth box?' You mean this box here holds all your baby teeth that Tooth collects?"

Jack nodded. "All the memories of my childhood are in there. I like to have it around because…it's all I have left of them and Emily." Jack stared toward the ice with a downcasted look.

"This is," Bridget felt completely stunned. "You used this to lure the Leprechaun? Because it's made out of gold, that's how you got my bracelet back?"

Jack nodded again. "It was the only thing I had but I wanted to make you happy again. So I used it by laying it on the ground at every place we went to every night and wait to see if he would buy the bait. Two nights ago he finally did and the second before he could've grabbed it I frosted his feet and took the bracelet from out of his hands." Jack started to smile in amusement. "Can you believe that he carried that bracelet around in the open like that? I mean come-"

He was silent by a sudden embrace from Bridget. Her arms wrapped around his waist. She sighed softly while her voice came out muffled. "This is so wonderful. You did all this just for me."

Jack smiled, slowly returning the hug. "You deserved it."

"Yeah, but you put one of your most treasured possessions on the line for me every night so I could have my bracelet back." Bridget removed herself away from the embrace and slowly accepted the bracelet. Tears were threatening to fall down her face but Bridget wiped them away. "No one has ever done anything like this for me. It's a total cliché but I really don't know what to say."

"How we start with thank you, and we work our way from there." Jack suggested

Bridget laughed and nodded. "Thank you, for everything. And this," She caressed the cool metal over her hand and held her snowflake in the other. "This is, I have no idea how to describe this."

"Here," Jack grasped her right wrist. "Let's put you're old piece of metal back where it rightfully belongs." He took the snowflake by its chain and wrapped it around the torc. Gently, the bracelet was then slid over Bridget's wrist, fitting like a glove.

Bridget admired the treasured gift while raising it over her head to see the forever frozen ice shine in the moonlight. She breathed out a sigh, as she felt so happy from this moment.

"Wanna ice skate some more?" Jack extended a hand to her. Bridget smiled, her grin beaming widely. "I'll take that as a yes."

Each of them laughed as they started to be in their own little world again.

* * *

"Well I hope you're happy, Sandy." Bunny scowled toward the little man. "You made us all pass out for who knows how many hours."

Sandy frowned. He had his reasons for putting the others to sleep, thank you very much. It wasn't like he was forced to do it either but Jack did beg the Sandman to help out with one little favor.

"I'm sure Sandy had his reasons." North rallied up to the Guardian of Dreams' defense. "Even if I don't know vhat they are they must've been good ones."

"Can't we just focus on finding Jack and Bridget?" Tooth asked worriedly. "They've been gone all day and we still have no idea where they are." Nightlight nodded with worry.

The whole group was traveling along in the forest while searching in vain. It was getting excruciatingly difficult that they had not found one sign of where the two teenagers were. Just one sign would be more than enough.

"Yes, of course." North agreed. "There must be something ve could-ah Petrov there you are." The ex-Cossack chuckled when his reindeer came trampling through the snow. He held a very proud look on his while walking near the bearded man. "Have you found Leetle Girl and Jack?"

Petrov gave a snort while nodding once. He jerked his head toward the direction he just came from and urged the Guardians to follow him. The reindeer lead them through a path that carefully avoided several trees and stood near a clearing.

The moment they stopped running Sandy was the first to see an adorable sight before him. Bridget and Jack were playing over the ice with some makeshift skates and laughing around each other happily. He almost had trouble seeing it was Bridget at first because she had her hair down. She looked really pretty with her hair in the wind.

"Hello, hello." Bunny smirked at the sight. So that's where the bloody show pony was. He was busy playing handsies with the Big Ankle-biter. And her hair was all loose too no less. Who'd thought she could pull a look like that.

"My, my, my, vhat do ve have here?" North chuckled in amusement.

"Not much of a surprise to be honest." Tooth smiled widely, her Mini-fairies matching the grin while chirping happily. She was glad to see Wisdom Tooth and Jack safe but she never thought that the redhead would ever unbraid her hair. Seeing it flowing around Bridget like a curtain was wonderful to watch. She looked so free. "Hush girls, don't let them hear you."

"You're making as much of a racket as the rest of us, Tooth." Bunny chuckled in amusement.

"Do you think ve should let them be, yes?" North asked while stroking his beard.

Nightlight smiled from watching the sight and nodded. His face was slightly blue from observing the ice-skating couple and felt rather embarrassed that he was watching them.

Sandy nodded in agreement. The group made their return trip to the campsite with hearts full of joy. It had been a long time since any of them saw something so sweet.

It was a shame it would be a long time again until another sight like that would be seen.

* * *

**Q-A: **O.O DUH-DUH-DUHN! What could it mean? Well you'll have to wait next Sunday for it. I am SO sorry for how long this one took, but to be fair this chapter is 40 pages long and I had to do this college thing with my dad the other night so I barely had time to work on this. XP Super sorry again!

The reference of North's steak-knife fighting/eating skills comes from the first book in the Guardians of Childhood series. XD Young North was hilariously enjoyable to read about by the way. Bunnymund too for being so stuffy and uppercrust, NOTHING like the movie version. XDDD

Gariníon – granddaughter in Irish Gaelic.

The Sheelagh-na-gig (or erotic carving) does indeed exist in the Church. XD It's one of the few places where there is more than one exactly.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	30. Burn Away: Part 3

**Q-A: **Here we go with the plot moving forward again. I must warn you, the story will be taking an unexpected turn at this point but it was foreshadowed like a lot in previous chapters. So you better get ready.

**Disclaimer: **Bridget is my character and the story is mine. References to the film and books belong to their owners.

* * *

_~Burn Away: Part 3~_

Long before the sun would rise on the first day of winter a sinister plan was already in motion. Behind the whitened trees a dark figure lurked in the shadows. Her red eyes stared deeply toward two figures strolling before the goddess. They were completely unaware of her presence.

The Shadow appeared along side her. _**Surely you have something in mind with this plan of yours?**_

"You know it as well as I do," the Morrígan replied coldly. "I have made the preparations for what is to come." She eyed the walking couple carefully with calculating eyes. "The chess board is full of many pieces tonight, but once I remove its most vital player…the king, queen, and knight will be left unprotected."

The Shadow smiled within his mask. _**This must be the middlegame then. **_

"Indeed." The Morrígan smirked. "The **end**game will have quite the finale."

The Shadow's laughter faded along with the goddess into the night.

* * *

The ice-skating was a lot more fun than Bridget thought it would be. After Jack had given her back the bracelet Bridget was in an ever better mood, which helped improve on her skating. She was nowhere in the same league as Jack, or possibly anyone for that matter, but she did have fun and learned to skate without wobbling as much as before.

"I think I only landed on my butt twice." Bridget said to Jack after leaving the pond. The magical icicle ice-skates that were on her feet vanished with the help of Jack's powers.

"And in a few months time you can be as good as me."

Bridget rolled her eyes at Jack. "Very funny."

"I'm being serious." Jack insisted. "You just need to practice on it-"

"Like the rest of my moves," Bridget added with a sigh. "Sorry, I shouldn't become a downer again but it's normal for me to be freaking out. We still don't have the stone."

"Well yeah," Jack slowed his pacing while looking pensively to the ground. He slowly stared at her again with a thoughtful, yet determined expression. "But I was thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

Jack looked over at Bridget with a contemplative look. The air around them was crisp as the recently fallen snow their feet crunched against. "About your powers."

Bridget scrunched her face, unsure of what he was going with bringing her powers up. "What about them?"

"I thought that maybe-now this is just a suggestion-maybe you could probably use them while fighting."

Bridget widened her eyes; her pupils constrict dangerously small. "Please tell me you are joking."

"I'm not." Jack shook his head. "Bridget, you have a great power inside you. It's something that the Morrígan won't expect. It would be a huge advantage to use against her."

"But I can't control it yet." Bridget shook her head. "My firepowers aren't strong enough to use. Scratch that, they **are**, but I can't retrain it enough."

"Yes you can," Jack guaranteed. "You just need to believe you can do it."

"Believe?" Bridget bit her lower lip."_Belief." _The very name made complete sense and total nonsense at the same time. She didn't have trouble in believing in her heroes but believing that they could handle themselves in the most dangerous situations was hard. The Morrígan wasn't called the Goddess of War and Death for nothing. She could be cunning and decisive as the Greek god _Athena._ Even with the fleeting hope of her weakened mind, the Guardians still had most of their powers taken from her despite that. She was still a dangerous force to be reckoned with.

Bridget had read plenty of books about ancient mythology to know that.

What Jack said made her wonder, could she really help fight the Morrígan? She learned a lot of fighting from Bunny and North. She was able to dodge attacks and defend herself. She also fought with a spear very well (a lot more than well if others had their word). And her firepowers couldn't be ignored. Perhaps all of those were reasons why she was meant to be in the shadow images the Man in the Moon had created. Could she really play a big part in the group? Did she have the potential to do something great? Could she end up being something great? Would she end up being something greater than anyone could ever imagine?

Bridget sighed. "I might…. I might give it a try." She saw Jack was about to speak but she cut in. "But I can't just conjure up fire all willy-nilly in front of them, the others I mean. As much as I hate saying this but, I'll have-no-**need** to tell the rest of the Guardians about my powers, and do it as soon as we get back."

Jack smiled, took Bridget's right hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "That would be the right thing to do. Though maybe after we get some sleep first, you look really tired."

Bridget sighed and rolled her eyes playfully. "Well I'm not all that surprised. It's already passed midnight…" She paused momentarily as her eyes started to widen. It was passed midnight, the sun would rise in a few hours time, "And I can still see you."

Jack chuckled breathlessly, realization quickly sinking. "You're 18 and you can still see me." If he had the power Jack would've been already up in the air since the morning had started but the moment he was in now was fantastic. "You can still see me!"

"I can!" Bridget cheered back. She suddenly became very bold and touched his face. His smooth, cold, soft face. "I can see you." Her voice was audibly lower. She was about to remove her hand until Jack placed his own over hers.

With closed eyes he sighed softly, curled his fingers over hers. "You still believe."

"I'd never give up on you." Bridget promised with a blushing face. "You'd do the same for me."

Jack smiled as he played with a strand of her hair after he brushed the locks. He reveled in finally being close to the cinnamon-apple scent. He fought every never in his body to not bury his nose in her hair. "You really do look beautiful with your hair down, you know that?"

"Oh, honestly. When you start saying stuff like that..." Bridget blushed and lowered her head. Some of the strands covered her face like a velvet curtain. Her left hand still clasped around the metal hair clip. She looked at it longingly. "It's a shame I can't wear this around anymore. I really liked it."

"I can fix that," Jack said after some pondering. He took a step closer toward Bridget and grasped some hair on her right. "Can I borrow this?" Jack pointed at the hair clip. Bridget was in too deep of a shock to say anything but nodded. "Thanks." He placed it between his teeth while his hands continued weaving her hair around. Bridget remained in deep shock for a few more minutes until Jack said, "Done." He stepped back and smiled. "Now that looks even better."

Bridget was still in a shock that she didn't say anything. Jack rolled his eyes. He made a flat panel out of ice and handed it to her. "Look." Bridget grasped the icy glass in her hands and sighed in amazement. While her hair was still free and loose some part of it was braided on her right with the metal hair clip. It was the braid equivalent of a dreadlock. _"Jack told me I was beautiful earlier and he can braid hair. How am I this lucky?" _

"You can braid hair." That sounded just as dumb as she though it would in her head.

Jack smiled bashfully and looked to the ground. "It was something my sister liked to do. When our mother was too busy or father had to go hunting, Emily would ask me to braid her hair." He smiled sheepishly. "That was all she asked from me was to help with her hair and…" He frowned after Bridget started to laugh. "Yeah, yeah keep laughing, it's so ridiculous for me to be like that."

Bridget shook her head. "No, I wasn't laughing at you. I was just thinking that there's all this stuff that I didn't know about you and it made me realize how terrible I am. You know pretty much everything about me but I never bothered asking about you. Granted I didn't wish to because I didn't want to upset you."

"Bridget," Jack called out, not wanting her to go overboard with apologizing again. "It's okay. I'm fine if you want to ask me questions. I'm alright with that now."

"It doesn't hurt to talk about the past?"

Jack nodded sincerely. "Not anymore."

"Well I just want to let you know the whole thing about you playing with your sister's hair-" Jack scowled "-I think it's very cute… and sweet."

Jack looked at her blankly, unsure how to react to Bridget's statement. "Uh, well I was just being a good brother to her and all."

"And I like you for that." Bridget blushed before admitting, "And a few other things."

Before anything could develop Bridget felt something cold on her lower back and yelped in surprise. Sal the salamander climbed out of her hoodie and crawled onto her shoulder. He blinked vacantly at both teenagers before he curled into a ball and fell asleep.

"This is probably the only amphibian I've met that actually likes being outside in the winter." Bridget said dryly while watching the little creature sleeping in a steady pattern.

"Your fire must make a great heating pad for him." Bridget rolled her eyes.

Jack snickered.

"Good to know when this is all over I can be a heating pad." Her thoughts soon turned serious. _"What will happen? If I do use my powers to help fight the Morrígan what will that lead to? Do I accept this part of me and try and make others accept it? How can that ever help me get adopted? Wait, why should I even still care about that? It's not like anyone would want me enough to live with them." _

They resumed walking as these thoughts swam around in her head.

* * *

Sometime later the two teenagers found the all so familiar path that led back to the campsite. Jack could see that Bridget wasn't walking as quickly as she was earlier. He could tell she looked worried about what was to come. She probably never showed her powers willingly to someone before the two of them met. It would take some more convincing for her to reveal her abilities to the rest of the Guardians.

By the time they were reaching the campsite Jack noticed a small light near it. When he squinted his eyes he realized there was a fire. The campfire was lit up? That couldn't be right. Sandy was supposed to have everyone (minus Nightlight, of course) asleep with his dreamsand.

"Why do I see a light?" Bridget noticed the campfire too. "Oh, great don't tell me that I'm actually died and am now following the li-"

"Shush," Jack lifted a finger over his mouth, motioning Bridget to be quiet. "Something must be up."

"Or everyone could just be awake." Bridget offered optimistically.

"Better safe than sorry," Jack replied as he crouched down and started to inch quietly in the snow. He was able to see Bridget giving him an eye roll but slowly followed him in suit. Jack had learned to wriggle through snow since the first year as the winter spirit, which became second nature to him at this point. Bridget on the other hand had a little more trouble as she squirmed uncomfortably in the snow and needed to stop every couple of feet when her glasses became askew. It also didn't help that she was getting frustrated. The more frustrated she got the hotter her body became (and not the kind of hot Jack liked, the **other **kind). The heat ended up melting most of the ice below her abdomen that led a trail of green grass behind her. In a different situation Jack would have found that funny but now wasn't the time to laugh.

"Calm down. Unless you want to be spotted." Bridget puffed at Jack's indecency.

"It's not easy having firepowers, you know."

Jack sighed but said nothing, knowing that he wasn't going to win this argument and he would rather stay on Bridget's good side.

The two eventually arrived near the campsite where it was clear as day (or WAY earlier morning) that the campfire was going and everyone was wide awake sitting around it. Jack and Bridget huddled a yard or two away and remained close to the ground.

"_Well this is great," _Jack sighed in annoyance. _Everybody knows we're gone and will probably-definitely-get into a lot of trouble. Oh boy, I can already imagine the snarky comments from Bunny already. I'll have to deal with North's scolding, Sandy being all smug, Nightlight pretending to be a mute as usual, and Tooth and/or her Mini-fairies fainting on the spot. They'll take it the wrong way." _

Speaking of the others, they were talking deeply into a conversation.

"It's obvious what needs to be done about those two," Bunny shouted in anger. "Always running off somewhere, being out longer than needed to be, and their tried expressions, it's got to end!"

Jack visibly winced at every verbal jab. This was much worse than he imagined.

"Someone needs to tell Jack how to treat a lady better." The pooka twitched his nose. "And somebody should keep an eye on her."

"I agree vith you heart that is whole, Bunny." North said. "The part about Jack ve can discuss later but vhat matters most is about Leetle Girl."

When Jack glanced over at Bridget when her little nickname was uttered. She held an expressionless look but her eyes sparked with some sort of curiosity.

"What about her?" Bunny narrowed his eyes, out of interest.

"I've been thinking," North began in a rarely used soft tone. "For a long time now I have thought deeply of our leetle human friend. She is unique, no?"

"She certainly is." Tooth smiled in a motherly way. "I haven't met a child much like her with such a kind heart and open mind in ages."

"Literally speaking of course?" Bunny asked with an arched eyebrow. Tooth sighed but nodded.

"And vhat a shock it is that she has no one but herself." North resumed. Jack could feel Bridget's hand on his own and partiality clutching the staff. "She is an orphan like all of us vere at one point in lives. She has no place to call home."

"What are you going with this, North?"

"I came up vith idea for sometime that if Leetle Girl has no home or family to be vith then she can surely find a place at the Pole."

Every expression on every person's face was a cross between shock, surprise, utter amazement, and plenty of more shock. With his face being so low to the ground that Jack's drop actually hit the floor. He no longer felt Bridget's hand on his wrist when he shifted his eyes to see that her expression was surprisingly blank. No source of emotion could be seen on her face. Jack was ready to inquire about her mien until Bunny interjected toward North.

"What do you mean let the Big Ankle-biter live in Santoff Claussen?" Bunny's green eyes bulged to the size of gulf balls. Again this scene would have been hilarious if it weren't for the situation. "You mean to tell me you're oaky with having a mortal child-no-teenager running around in your workshop for all year around, especially during Christmas? Who's gonna look after her? The yetis when they're off duty or have her babysit the elves while you're at it?"

North frowned deeply and crossed his arms. "I thought of this for long time, Bunnymund. Leetle Girl needs a place to live. No one vants her so vhy not me? I could certainly like the extra hand at knowing vhat children like for toys or to hear my stories. Bridget has eyes full of vonder and joy for Christmas and enjoyed her stay in Pole, surely it is perfect place for her to be."

"Not with that Show Pony livin' there too." Bunny threw in. "She can't stay in the same room with him, let alone a whole bloody ice palace. Who knows what might happen." Jack rolled his eyes. He could control himself-wait, Bunny couldn't have meant it like that right? Right?

"She's better off in a place that's not as noisy and quiet and smaller…. more green."

"Bunny," Tooth smiled knowingly. "Are you trying to voice your opinion about Bridget's living arrangements? "

The pooka looked timid for the first time in, well ever, and curled into an adorable ball. "It's just, she's not as bad as most adolescents. Not to mention she's the only one that talks to me without laughing her arse off about me being a bunny. Plus she respects nature and likes animals. She'd enjoy it in the Warren, and it's been a long time since I had someone else around that wasn't an egg to talk to."

"Oh, Bunny." Tooth cooed. "If you felt lonely you could've-" Bunny gives her a dirty look. "Sorry," she quickly apologized. "You don't wish for your…. pookaness to be in question, forgive me."

Bunny sighed. "It's not just that. Bridget is an incredible kid. The fact that she has no home is hard for me to understand. And this is me we're talking about, I learned everything there is to know about everything and yet I can't figure out why no one would adopt somebody as incredible as she is. She'd be happy in a place that's clean and happy like the Warren. Yes, it's been my home for a **very **long time but it's meant to be a place for more than one being to live there. I could put some bedding for a human to live there and she could help with egg painting or even chocolate tasting, I don't know I'll make something up to make her think she needs a reason to stay there. Personally I wouldn't care."

Tooth sighed happily while wiping away a tear. "It's unbelievable you two talking about having Bridget living with you in such a casual manner as if exchanging ideas for a new gift. It will make me seem like I'm copying you when I admit that I've been thinking about Bridget living with me." She smiled in embarrassment while her Mini-fairies chirped excitedly. Tooth quickly shushed them. "The girls and I have grown so fond of her I'm afraid. It would be hard for us to part ways with her so soon.

"I'll admit I don't that much about teenagers but I've been wishing to know more about them after meeting Bridget. She has such a warm personality and very smart for her age. I know she would love to see Punjam Hy Loo, and the rest of the fairies would love to meet her. And I'm afraid to admit but…after all the hair sessions with Bridget, the Mini-fairies want to continue trying out new styles with her and also want her to live with us. We've all grown very fond of her I'm afraid." Tooth placed a finger under her chin in thought. "I think my old room could be of use for her. It's probably rather dusty from lack of use but I'm sure there's something we could work out on what time of the year she can stay at my place while either at North's or Bunny's."

"Sandy?" North raised an eyebrow at the Sandman. "You have something to speak about as vell?"

The Guardian of Dreams wrote down quickly in the notebook and opened the page that thankfully was in a print large enough for Jack to read.

Would it make me look like a copycat too if I offered my island for Bridget to live on as well?

North widened his eyes momentarily before he started to laugh in a booming voice. "Look at us. Ve all vish for Leetle Girl to remain vith us! Ha! How can one teenager affect us like this?"

Nightlight smiled softly but remained quiet. Jack felt a little relieved that the spectral boy wasn't offering a place for Bridget to stay at. He wasn't sure if Nightlight had a home for her anyway.

"It's many reasons North but I think what you brought up originally is a good reason." Tooth paused for dramatic effect. "We all lost our families at one point in our lives. We're a group of orphans." She sighed sadly, looking pathetically to the ground. "All of us know personally what it's like to feel alone in the world with feeling that no one could be there to help us. Bridget needs someone to be there for her and yet none of us were there when she was a child. In a sense she's exactly like us, all growing up in a difficult age with not a single person to seek out. We each want to change that not only because we are Guardians and can do that, but because we **want **to. We want to make her happy and give her the one thing we all never thought of having before joining together… A home, a family."

"Good," North clapped his hands, closing the impromptu meeting. "Once Bridget and Jack return ve shall tell them good news." Bunny coughed. North sighed. "And~ talk to Jack about curfew. But later, later."

Jack chuckled breathlessly. He couldn't believe what he just heard. "Isn't this great, Bridg-" it was then he realized that Bridget wasn't there with him anymore. "Bridget?" He stood up in worry and noticed small footprints from the dirt-mixed snow. They lead to a small clearing of trees in a semi-circle where Bridget was making a little rut out of it while she walked aimless around said rut.

She didn't look all that good as she stuttered and muttered to herself. "I just- I can't and then they-with the notebook-the-the eggs-hairstyling!"

Jack titled his head, something was wrong he was sure of it. "Bridget…? Are you okay?"

"DO I LOOK OKAY?!" Bridget snapped. She had wild eyes full of mixed emotions Jack could barely understand while she tried to calm with very deep breaths. "Sorry, but I just-and what they said-what they meant-how can they-why they want-"

"Hey slow down, slow down." Jack took a few tentative steps, walked over the recently made rut, and stood in front of Bridget. "Why don't we try this again but with you speaking a bit slower?"

Bridget breathed out while uncrossing her arms. "Okay. I'm really sorry about earlier."

"It's all right," Jack accepted the apology. "You were just upset."

"But that wasn't just it." Bridget motioned with her right hand. "I was full of who knows what kind of feelings. I can't believe it but I heard every word." She buried her face in her hands.

Jack placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled slightly. "It's nothing to be upset over. I'm not even sure what you're upset over so forget that last sentence. What I'm trying to ask is, why are you so mad about what the other Guardians just said." He suddenly felt Bridget ceased her shivering and stiffening. She removed her hands off of her face and stared directly at Jack with an incredulous look. Her jaw was dropped; her gray eyes widened in shock, and shook her head in disbelief.

"What makes you think I'm upset?" Her look of surprise formed into a look of deep happiness. Bridget's eyes damped but she did not dare wipe them away. "I've been waiting for this since-since ever! I'm finally wanted by someone, somebody wants me!" She cheered in delight. "I'm finally gonna be part of family."

"I know," Jack smiled along with her.

"And it's gonna be with you guys."

"I know!"

"This is so~" Bridget trailed off, her eyes widening moments later. "Oh man, now I really **do **have to tell them about my powers now. I can't just keep that big of a secret away from them, that would a worst first impression." Jack was about to tell her an idea when Bridget started to look at her coat uncomfortably. "And what about the way I am dressed? Look at how shabby my coat is and it's still dirty despite being in the wash."

"Bridget," Jack called out with slight amusement. Now she was just overreacting. "I get where you're going at this. Let's just try and work on telling them about your powers, then we can focus on the more important matter of how you look."

Bridget relaxed enough to silently agree to that. "Right. I need to clam down." She did one of those breathing exercises Bunny always made her do before Tai Chi. She had a big grin on her face before she frowned and sighed in defeat. "I need more time to cool off."

"Then you stay here and I'll go and warm the others up and bring them here." Jack suggested with his thumb pointing at the direction of where the camp was. He walked a few paces before turning his attention back toward Bridget. "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself here?" Bridget gave him a blank look before opening her palm up to summon a small ball of fire. Even at such a safe distance Jack still felt uncomfortable being near an open flame. "Okay just asking." He mentally shivered before heading off. Not once did he or Bridget notice a metal smirking face lying on the part of where his shadow's head rested.

* * *

Bridget took a long deep breath and focused on her hand not being on fire anymore. She wouldn't that to be the first thing the Guardians see before she would explain herself properly. "I just need to keep a clam head. They will accept me not matter what," she continued reassuring herself. "I'll be a part of their family and I'll get to live in some of the most amazing places ever and have people that want me around for once." She frowned slightly after speaking. Her hand went into her coat pocket and fished out Sal and next the crumpled picture of the Bennetts. She looked at the picture with a look for forlorn. They were always nice to her and treated her like one of their own. Could she really leave them for a life with immortal beings?

"_It's not like you have much of a choice. Several times on this trip I was set off like a firecracker. There's a good chance that might happen again after I would return to Burgess," _Bridget tried to reason with herself. _"If any of them knew about my firepowers they wouldn't accept me. Jamie would feel scared by me and probably betrayed that I __**didn't **__tell him. Sophie is too young to understand still but Carol would definitely not want me near her children. Same old story, I'll be kicked out of the house before I get the chance to explain."_

"I'm doing this for a new home and to keep my old one safe." Bridget smiled at that conclusion.

"Why don't you keep both safe by not going to either of them?" The redhead felt her blood turn cold and then boil immensely before she turned around to see **her**.

The Morrígan stood before Bridget like a stolid corpse standing on its own accord. She gave Bridget an expressionless look while she gave her a scowl in return. Bridget wasted no time to summon a fireball and shoot it straight at the goddess. She smirked in victory when all she saw was a smoldering pile of ash in the wicked woman's place.

"Very good," the sound of three woman spoke. "You shoot with the accuracy of an **arrow **firing towards its target." Bridget gasped in shock when she made out three figures before her, walking alongside the other in a slow advance. The one woman in the middle shook violently as the other two beside her pressed themselves onto her and melded into one being.

The sight made Bridget cringed in disgust. "You don't scare me." Bridget said in the bravest voice she could muster which wasn't saying much.

"I should hope not." The Morrígan smiled sweetly, a long row of inhumanly white teeth shined like bleached bones. "Since you were successful at subduing every last one of my attacks in the past. The alchemy blood wolves did not stand a chance against you; the possessed boy was thwarted without pity." Bridget scorned at the Morrígan. "And that crushing stalemate at the hill all because of you and your _**special**_ gift."

Bridget gulped nervously while shifting her eyes around for any possible exists. All the trees were too narrow for her to run in between to and the only path out was the same one the Morrígan was blocking with her form. Bridget wanted to run, scream, or cry, to do something to escape but the last thing she wanted was to give the Morrígan a reason to strike. Bridget knew she was not a long distance from the campsite, but long enough for no one inside of the opening to hear her.

"_I am such an idiot." _Bridget berated. _"There must be something I can do to get out of this mess. Oh, distracting I can do that. I'll just stall for time until the others get here and-"_

"You seem awfully quiet right now." The Morrígan's voice rang loud and clear. "Could it be that you wish to make an offer with me?"

Bridget pushed her eyebrows down incredulously. "What could I possibly gain from making an offer with you?"

The Morrígan smiled again, no hidden smirks or scowls of any kind were present. "Many things, your life for example could be something you'd wish to keep, or something much more original like an unanswered wish to be granted." The Morrígan walk along the borders of the trees in a circle, her eyes not once leaving Bridget's as she did the same. "Must you be so tensed I come here with good greetings in mind."

Bridget scoffed. "Yeah right, and I'm the Queen of Sheba."

"Would that be the reason why **she** had bles-" the Morrígan began to say until she blinked several times. Her body stiffened while a shadow covered her face. Bridget eyed the display, mystified, once the Morrígan resumed, "I can see now that you are simply creating a comical idiom with what you had just uttered."

"Yeah that's a joke," Bridget explained out of habit.

"Indeed, but what I am offering to you is no laughing matter." The Morrígan ceased her circling and began to walk down near to where Bridget stood in the middle. "You have great power, little human. For someone of your size and age to conjure fire so easily is quite impressive-for a human I mean." Bridget took a step back when the Morrígan was less than six paces away. The Morrígan took another. "Just imagine what you could use it for on the Winning Side."

"I do know," Bridget smiled knowingly. "A good friend just told me I could use it to kick your butt the next time we meet. Which will be tonight if you forgot." Now she was starting to understand why Jack told her that using her firepower could be a good thing.

The Morrígan drew a thin line over her mouth like she was trying not to show her rising anger. "I have not forgotten, but when I meant the 'Winning Side' I meant the one I am on. Surely you must know how humans in the past called me a goddess of war? I was and still am unstoppable in a battlefield."

Bridget stepped backwards while she felt Sal climb on her shoulder. "That maybe true but you forgot one thing that gives you a disadvantage over the Guardians."

The Morrígan had the gull to smirk in amusement. "Oh, and what is it? The three of the Four Treasures that should rightfully be mine."

Bridget shook her head, no longer was fear eating away at her and she was starting to actually enjoy this odd conversation she was having with the deranged goddess. She thought correcting the Morrígan at every turn was fun. "No-well yes-but what the real answer is that they're the good guys, and they always win. You're evil so you'll lose in the end. Sorry for the big spoiler."

The Morrígan's line was threatening to become a frown with one twitch on the left inching near her mouth. "Humph, that is such a petty thing to believe, such as those False Gods themselves. I heard their conversation as much as you and your _**friend **_listened." Bridget was starting to think the Morrígan didn't believe that Jack was just an acquaintance.

"If you honestly think your little dream of having a little clan of your own will come true than you must not be in reality. Face the truth child and see that it won't last." The Morrígan sped quickly to be only a few feet from Bridget, causing the latter to fall flat on her back.

Great chills befell on Bridget while she lay petrified to the ground. This was not going to plan at all. Sal clung desperately to her shoulder and nudged himself into the space in her neck. He was probably afraid as she was. The Morrígan disheveled her body, causing the feathers on her skin-erm-dress to ruffle. One lone feather detached itself from her shoulder and she caught it before it fluttered far enough from her clawed hand.

She preened the feather while she spoke, "There was a prophecy spoken out many millennia ago by an individual in the Tuatha Dé Danann. We called that member the **Fire Arrow**. She told of a day when the 'Great Orb of the Night Sky would not spread its light and the Dark One would come again to unleash his might.'"

"The Dark One?" Bridget had a feeling that person might be bad news. Call it a hunch if you will. _"Where are the others? They should be here by now."_

"He was a being that existed long before my time." The Morrígan explained, while completely unaware of the human's inner turmoil. "He ruled over the land when darkness covered the ground and sky. Anyone he came across was devoured. His time will come again on the night the Orb in the Night sky fails to brighten the night and the one who trounces all the clan will have power." Her red eyes grew red with a deep passion that was borderline maniacal. "As it was uttered by that cursed Fire Arrow,

'The great Orb keeps he who is God from rising again, unless someone blocks out the light, an unlikely friend.

In Darkness will the others fall, with one remaining to rule over all!'"

The Morrígan cackled, drunk with greed. "I shall make it so tonight with the Dark One will rise again to grant me my dark request. All I need is the blood to satisfy him." She grinned, her skin wrinkled in an ugly fashion. "Denounce your alliance with the fickle False Gods and I'll have your wish be granted as well. Leave this Emerald Isle and you will be spared as well."

Bridget felt herself boil with anger and scowled darkly at the Morrígan. "No! You're insane! I'd never listen to some evil hag like you! The Guardians will defeat you and you're little friend too!" She rolled away from the Morrígan as quickly as she could and tried to run away. A large mass of feathers prevented her from doing so as she was completely entombed by them. The feeling of pins and needles and harsh plumage raped her skin as Bridget tried to cover her eyes. She didn't have time when she heard the horrifying sound of cracking.

"You know the best thing about today is?" The Morrígan asked in a sickly gleeful tone. "Besides being able to **finally** killing all those False God worshipers **and **the Gods themselves, I get to touch you even with those damn symbols stitched around your waist." If Bridget could have seen outside of her feathered trap, the Morrígan held a cloth from her old pants stained with her blood and a lock of her hair tied around it. But all Bridget could feel was a cold hand on her head. A shot of cold pain shot through her and the familiar feeling of darkness flooded inside.

* * *

"So Jack, vhy exactly do ve need to valk to vhere Bridget is?" North asked while Jack led him and the rest of the Guardians away from their camp. Of course North didn't mind going on an early walk (so early that the sun would only rise in an another hour) but he was still curious for why the frost spirit had returned without Bridget.

Jack understood North's concern and answered that it was a surprise. He told them all before leaving that Bridget wanted to show everyone something and that she needed to prepare for it. Partially what he had said was true while the rest was a total lie but it wasn't like he was going to flat out tell them about Bridget's powers. He knew that she would rather tell them herself and left her to think things through before everyone got together. He was a little excited to be honest, for both Bridget and himself. The whole day was starting to look really good in his opinion. First the group had three of the Four Treasures, Bridget had given him another kiss, they kicked the Morrígan's butt on several occasions, Bridget had given him another kiss, the other Guardians had an argument about where would Bridget live with them, they were close to finding the children (Jack could feel it in his skinny belly), and~ Bridget had given him another kiss! Sure it wasn't on the cheek but she didn't literally blow up the time she did it and made some serious progress because of it. It wouldn't be long before she might let him kiss her or-

_"Whoa lover boy, one big miracle at a time. I still need to get the others to accept Bridget for who she truly is. Then we'll get to the butt-kicking, save the children, give Jamie the biggest damn field of four-leaf clovers as gift of solace and put him and all the other kids on the Nice List for life, and __**then **__we can deal about your relationship with Bridget." _Jack grinned widely at the next thing he thought. _"Because she is staying with us forever! …Or until she gets old and dies." _He shook that dark thought away. _"Why am I acting like this? Since I left Bridget I've been thinking weird stuff out of the usual good stuff I think." _

If Jack had a better understanding of the deep magic North had spoken of he would have noticed the unexpected hitchhiker in his shadow. The metal masked Shadow was hiding around near the Guardians as he waited for the next part in his-the Morrígan's plan to take action. The Shadow hid a smirk. Yes, their plan would soon fall into action and darkness would rule the world, and little by little creatures like the False Gods would fall to their knees. It was time for a believer to not be believed in.

"Just a few more feet and we'll find-" Jack paused momentarily when he and the others arrived at the clearing. His voice became silent. Something in the air didn't feel right when he saw Bridget standing in the middle of the clearing with her back turned from him. "Bridget?" He was starting to wonder if asking for her was going to become a habit.

Jack noticed the others giving him concerned looks. They were concerned about Bridget's strange behavior as he was by the looks of it. Jack smiled sheepishly for a moment before he returned his attention to the redhead and walked down to the clearing. "Okay Bridget I know you're still a little nervous right now but you're making everyone a little jumpy." When she didn't turn to face him Jack walked around to where she stood. Her face was blank and looked vacant, no signs of emotion could be seen from her.

Jack waved a hand over her face, fearing that she was blind again. "Uh, Bridget?" She still did not respond. "All right Bridget you're starting to freak me out a little." Still he got nothing from her. With a sigh and eye roll he moved his hand on her shoulder. "Listen I know you're scared but-"

With the reflexes of a mousetrap Bridget snatched his hand before it was even an inch from her shoulder. She gave him the most uncharacteristic scowl imaginable and literally snarled. Seconds later she pushed down with her right hand and stood over him like a leering giant.

"Bridget! What are you-" Jack shouted before he had to jump away from a blast of fire.

* * *

"Vhat?" North whispered breathlessly, dropping his jaw. The others held similar expressions of disbelief.

"She has…" Tooth gaped, unable to finish her sentence.

"We have to help Jack!" Bunny commanded after getting out of his state of shock. Right after he said that a blast of fire moved quickly toward him. Nightlight was quick enough to summersault over and catch the pooka in the nick of time. At the spot where Bunny formerly stood a fresh spot of burning ash smoked.

"Bunny is right! Ve must save Jack," North brandished his swords, ready to charge.

"No!" Tooth shouted. She looked at the ex-Cossack worryingly. "We can't use weapons against Bridget, she could get hurt."

"If we do nothing, Jack will be the one that gets hurt." Bunny replied. He pushed himself out of Nightlight's arms and gave Tooth a sympathetic look. "We can't be blinded by our affections for the shelia. She is attacking Jack for no other reason and we to help him out. We can't just sit back here and let Jack get hurt. You understand that do you?"

Tooth let out a whimper as her lower lip trembled. She hated to admit it but Bunny was right about this. Bridget was acting very much out of character but no one knew the reason why. Jack was their fellow Guardian and needed their help. Whatever was affecting Bridget could be looked into **after** she was stopped. With great reluctance the Fairy Queen nodded.

"Let's go!" North shouted vigorously as the rest of the Guardians charged.

* * *

Jack was not having such a good day as he thought. It was the first time in his immortal life since the incident with Pitch at Antarctica that he truly felt helpless. How was he supposed to fight fire with ice if it melted away with zero effort from Bridget? He couldn't simply fight her with his wooden staff either, and Bridget was one of the last people he wanted to hurt. At the moment all he could do to avoid her fiery blaze was running at every angle his body could physically move to dodge each attack. Sometimes he got lucky enough to blast an icicle on the ground right where Bridget's feet where about to move and cause her to fell flat on her face. He stopped that tactic when he realized her fire blasts ended up growing larger while her anger rose.

"_Where did Bridget learn to bring out this much power?" _ Jack thought for a second before evading another blast from Bridget. She sped around ever direction he ran to and shot several fireballs from her hands. With every time she missed the girl's scowl turned into a deep rage as she shouted in anger. The more she became angry, the larger and more destructive her fire turned into. Jack had no choice but to hide behind a tree when one fireball felt close enough to reach over to his backside.

The fire blast was so big that it severely damaged the tree and was barely three inches into the wood's end. Jack could feel the heat radiating from where he stood. He kept his breathing calm and heart rate to slow down. The last thing he needed was to panic and not think clearly. He turned his head to his right to see if the coast was clear. When he turned to his left Bridget's face was centimeters from his.

"_Okay now it's time to panic!" _Jack ducked the moment Bridget's flaming fist collided with the tree. She shouted in anger while he used the moment to run away. His prayers were finally answered when the Guardians got out of their daze and came to him.

"Jack," North inclined his head near Jack's. "Vhat is happening?"

"I don't know," Jack answered right away. "Something is seriously wrong with Bridget."

"I think we all noticed that." Bunny said. He looked over at Jack and asked inquiringly, "Why is she acting like a rabid dingo?"

"Didn't you hear me, I. Don't. Know." Jack glared at the pooka. "She just started attacking me out of nowhere."

"Think the real question is, where and when did Bridget acquire those strange powers?"

Before anyone could respond to the query the tree Bridget 'attacked' fell down on its side. More smoke and ash filled the air as Bridget walked out of the sooty fog and seethed at both Jack and the Guardians.

"Bridget, it's me Jack. You know the guy that you're…. with along with the rest of our friends. What you're doing is scaring everyone." Jack began in the calmest voice he could muster. When he noticed Bridget was shifting her gaze from his face to the hand that held his staff he did what became known as a very stupid decision observed from the other Guardians, and lowered it to the ground.

"You need to calm down. Don't you remember what we both heard earlier? How you might have a chance of getting a home, a family?" The Guardians exchanged looks of surprise from hearing that reveal. Jack paid no attention to them while his voice became very coarse and almost breaking. "I have no idea why you're acting like this but please, **please **just stop."

For a moment Bridget's expression softened and the glow of her fire weakened. She no longer flared her teeth in a grueling manner as she stopped glaring with her eyes. Jack smiled in relief; she was starting to turn back to normal. He took a step forward only to be stopped by Sandy. He gave the younger Guardian a shake from his head telling him that it was a bad idea. Jack pulled his hand away and resumed walking toward Bridget.

The worst mistake both of them could ever make had just occurred. Bridget growled angrily and shot a blast of fire toward the Guardians. Panic flooded into Jack like a raging river as he forgot who and what he was and focused on saving his friends. He jumped in front of them, gaining most from the blast.

Suddenly Jack started to remember the feeling of when his tongue got burnt from eating his mother's bread too quickly.

Only this time the pain was much worse.

* * *

_Destroy. Burn. **Kill. **_Those were the only words that mattered to Bridget the very moment the Morrígan removed her hold off of her.

"When you see six odd looking creatures come to you do not hesitate to fight them off with your power." The Morrígan whispered into the mindless mind of her newfound puppet. She would love to see the Fire Arrow try to control the girl now. "It is a gift that you were blessed with so do not squander it for employment for those petty beings. The Fire Arrow blessed you for this reason but now you will listen to me. You obey and heed my orders now do what is right and purge those False Gods out of existence. This world has been too long in a deep sleep where dreams are poisoning the land. A heart must be filled with reality and despair in order to live. Kill off those who do not follow my belief. Kill them, kill them with fire."

The Morrígan left soon after that. Her orders were all what Bridget lived for now. What else could she possibly want outside of obeying her new master? This was what she wanted after all, to be wanted by someone, and now that her kind master asked her for such a request how could Bridget refuse? The world was filled with too many false feelings and needed to be reminded of whom the true master was.

Bridget began her little game of execution in a very serious manner. As much as she wanted to play with her prey she had a job to do. It was almost a shame she had to take out the white-haired boy. The tone he used to tempt her sounded like it was filled with that fake emotion she once knew as love. Ha! What a weak thing, like she would ever need that anymore. Feelings like love, happiness, and hope those were emotions for lesser beings. She had no need for them anymore with all the power she wielded. She would become on top for once and all those who wronged her will cower before her might, but just as those wickedly wonderful thoughts spread out like the fire a most unexpected thing happened.

It started off loud and agonizing. The sound resonated from a powerful yell. Only it wasn't a yell, not at all, but a cry. A large cry that turned into a fleeting whimper. Through her cracked lenses Bridget began to see again. The dark shroud, which once covered her mind and gave her a newfound purpose shattered away.

"_What did I do…?" _Bridget thought in horror as she watched the sight before her. Jack was on his side withering in obvious pain while he clenched and unclenched his hands in searing pain. The remaining Guardians crowed around him like a shield and went to his aid at once.

"Oh no."

"This can't be happening."

"Look at how his hands are turning red."

"It vill lead to serious scarring."

"I never thought I'd see the day."

Bridget felt her body go horribly cold as she attempted to get closer. She had to know Jack was safe. How could she forget how important he was to her? Or the others for that matter? They were her friends, her companions during their long journey over the course of a month.

"Stay back where you are!" Bridget's heart stopped the moment she heard Bunny yell.

"But," she tried to desperately find the right words. "But I-"

"I don't understand, Bridget. Why would you do this?" Tooth sounded almost as broken as Bridget felt. Pink amethyst eyes bore into her own gray ones. "Why?"

Bridget felt like she was choking. She couldn't breath, her lungs felt clamped shut with no air. "I don't know! I just-"

"Vhere did that feather come from?" North pointed with his sword to a black feather that was wedged onto her shoulder. From the moment she touched it, the feather disintegrated into little specs of black and blew away into the wind.

"The Morrígan's magic," North whispered before turning his attention to Bridget. "Did she do that to you?"

A small spark of hope weld inside Bridget.

"You vork vith her?"

And now it was distinguished. "No! I would never-"

"So then the fire you brought out was her doing?" Bunny asked in a voice that made it sound he knew the real answer.

Bridget bit her lower lip. She wanted to think this was not how she planned to reveal her powers but she had a feeling it would turn out this way no matter what. "I always had these power. As long as I could remember I could bring out fire." When she saw the distraught looks the Guardians gave her she quickly added, "But I never used them to hurt anyone, at least not on purpose. I swear I never wanted to hurt anyone with them-I just got so sad or angry it came out and-and-" she trailed off, getting a very good feeling that most of them didn't understand.

"All this time you had these powers and told us nothing?" North sighed exasperated. "Vhere is the trust in that?"

"I wanted to tell you but I just-" Bridget felt tears coming down her eyes but did not stop to wipe them away. "I tried to control with Jack's help and-"

"Jack knew about this?" Tooth gasped in shock. She looked over at the winter spirit who was still on the ground moaning in great pain. "Did you tell him to keep secrets from us?"

"Yes-but please listen I wanted to tell you so badly I just didn't know how'd you react and then the Morrígan came here-"

"She vas here? And **you **spoke to **her**?"

Bridget could tell North's voice was dangerously low. She needed to see Jack, needed to know he was okay. "It wasn't anything like that, I promise, she told me that if I work with her I would get what I wanted-"

"So you thought of taking out Jack would help you out?"

Bridget paled, her eyes widening in shock over what Bunny accused her. Sadly he was half-right. While she was possessed that's all she wanted.

"I don't believe this," Tooth said with shallow breathing. Her little fairies (even Baby Tooth) looked grief stricken and torn. It was like Jack being in great pain and the sudden discovery of Bridget's 'betrayal' troubled them. "You didn't trust us enough to tell us this part of you."

Bridget felt her insides being ripped apart by the seems thanks to the Mini-fairies within. "I didn't….I mean I couldn't." She was speaking aloud of not finding any more words to speak.

"_How dare you betray your people…"_

Bridget became startled by the voice. The voice belonged to someone she did not recognize and yet felt strangely familiar with.

* * *

_A dark night similar to the one she was facing Bridget found herself with her body thrown to the ground. Surrounding her was a large mass of people whose faces she could barely see despite the burning torches. Near her head Bridget saw two furred boots belonging to a man twice the size of North's, if that was humanly possible. Due to her position on the ground Bridget was unable to lift her head so she couldn't see the man who barked at her._

"_You dare betray your clan, for the life of an outsider." The man spoke in a deep voice while somewhat gruff held much authority and demanded respect. _

_Unerringly like the last vision, Bridget spoke words she did not expect to say. "I only committed the act from what I believed was right."_

"_But not for the clan!" He roared, his voice boomed, shaking the ground to its roots. It was clear to Bridget that this man was probably not a normal human. "You dare spare the life of not one but __**two **__invaders, and now you've made your allegiance to that...outside force."_

"_I can explain!" Bridget called out desperately. "I only spared their lives because-" she cried in pain when a large boot kicked her in the jaw. She landed on her side, withering in pain. On her back Bridget could see one face from the torches. Brown hair, disheveled for reasons unknown to Bridget, lay over pale skin with two green eyes darker than the deep forests. Their expression was blank and emotionless. _

"_Do not speak before your elders, child!" The man's gruff voice barked again. He spoke again but his words sounded muffled, no sound came out as Bridget felt her vision unwillingly fade in and out with the sound of static. Soon everything became black and she returned to the world._

* * *

Jack never felt pain like this. The pain of his burned hands was almost impossible to describe. His hands felt scalding hot and heat glazed over each finger. The pain did not at all weaken him but only made him feel throbbing all across his normally calloused skin. For the first time in three hundred years Jack actually saw his skin go red. It was hot. Everything felt hot; the heat was something his body could no longer stand. He could barely stand either as he fell to the ground in a fetal position. Even with his face plastered to the snow nothing could stop the swelling pain.

"_Stu-stupid skin," _Jack thought weakly. _"Why does this have to hurt more than what normal people get? My hands are freakin' blistering." _His thoughts went away the moment he heard whimpering. "That voice," Jack whispered faintly. "I know that voice."

Jack shifted his eyes from the ground and saw Bridget between North and Tooth's legs. She was in a similar position like himself while she appeared to be shriveling in the snow. Her face was buried in her hands and her body shivered.

"_She is in much pain as I am…or even more if she knows what she did." _Jack shifted slightly, his back on the ground as he slowly attempted to get up. He carefully lifted his hands toward his chest to prevent further damage from being exposed to the elements. This may have been the most painful experience he had with fire but it certainly wasn't the first.

Jack attempted to lift his waist up in a sit-up like fashion. He was successful for the first half until he fell back on his side. His hands touched the ground, the feelings of heated needles jabbed his hands. At that same moment Bridget quit shivering at began to yell out as if she was in great pain.

"Aaaah~!" Bridget screamed at the top of her lungs. "Not again. Please stop shunning me. I want to be wanted!"

Jack eyed her in confusion while the others stared at her in surprise. "Not again! Please, PLEASE! Don't send me away!"

"_Bridget," _Jack wanted to call out. Scream her name. Anything to let her know he was there.

"I can't…-not again!" She stood up, thrust her hands to her sides and let out two huge blasts of fire. Neither one was anywhere near the Guardians or hit them.

"Bridget please," Tooth tried to calm her down. "Let us-"

"Don't touch me!" Bridget shouted with closed eyes. The crack in her glasses was now a small hole. "Not again. Why can't anyone believe me?" Through tears Bridget gasped in sorrow and started to run the opposite direction of everyone else. She ran through the trees, not caring if she crashed into one or not.

"Bridget, shelia!" Bunny attempted to follow until he and the rest of the Guardians heard a moan from Jack. He glanced back toward the opposite direction before putting his much needed attention back toward his fellow Guardian.

"Jack," North lifted the boy effortlessly and held him in his arms. Tooth pulled out some bandages from the medical satchel. The winter spirit tried to lift himself up only to be gently pushed down by North. "Rest. You need your vounds to heal."

"…ridget." Jack croaked. His eyes were half-open when he gazed at the others. "Where…is she?"

For the first time in a long time no one seemed to know the right answer to speak.

* * *

Since the Guardians departure things in Santoff Claussen only seemed to have gotten worse. The air was colder than normal temperature, the nights grew darker with each passing day, and the people had to swear silence when low flying planes flew over.

Planes **never **flew so close to the village's borders before, and it was because of Big Root. The poor tree was dying. Each branch wilted more than a weeping willow, the bark peeled off like pale gray rust, and each time the wind blew the tree moaned like the voice of a man with a weakened spirit.

Speaking of weakened spirits…. Ombric spent most of his time now in bed. He could barely rise without the help from the villagers. He had once asked how he looked to everyone and noticed how they all exchanged looks from that question. From that he knew he wasn't aging well. Ombric chuckled-more like sputtering out a cough-of course he was getting old, if the tree grew weak so did he. It was the natural order of magic and nature. A part of him almost felt glad Katherine wasn't there to see what had happened to the once happy village. Even when she and Nightlight vanished she was mourned for a long time. Nearly everyone felt that she was gone forever, but Ombric did not lose hope. Especially when that one girl came.

From the start Ombric knew there was something special about that young lady. Bridget was something he almost never thought of seeing again; a person passed childhood who still believed. And believe she did. Not once did she show of faltering since her quest with the Guardians started. Ombric watched over them from the start until they reached Ireland. He heard from his insect friends that something dark had came over the land and nothing could get in or out. He learned of this much too late after the Guardians had left Wales. There was nothing he could do to warn them. Even with the simplest of spell casting wore him out too much, but he did feel one thing through their travels so he knew that his old friends were safe.

Like the rest of the Guardians Ombric always knew when a child did or didn't believe in them. The only difference between him and them was that he had a more connection with children. He could empathize with them. Literally and mentally. Literally because he was stuck in a bed for most of his time now and like most children who get sick he wanted to be out and do something (this of course has no really meaning or necessary to the plot, just a nice reference for the wizened child at heart). Mentally because he could feel if a child thought something that had to do with belief. Due to his weakened state Ombric spent most of his time honing very much on Bridget. Her light was thankfully not that difficult to find since she was the only teenager that still believed in all her heart of the Guardians. Her light only seemed to glow more with each passing day, as her belief never seemed to wane. Oh yes, Ombric had a very good feeling she was special. Only she could help the Guardians on their mission. She would remind them of why the belief and love from a child is so important and that as long as there was the power of belief they could accomplish anything. He hoped she had learned the first question he asked her on her first day eventually and to realize the true power of-

Suddenly Ombric felt a great pain in his heart in mind. Only it wasn't his heart that was hurt, he was only projecting the feelings of someone else. This jolted Ombric out his consideration while the wind started to pond against the bedroom window. He almost toppled off the bed, stricken by whatever he has felt. He placed a hand over his heart while the healers and Trevvor came to his aid at once. Ombric ordered them to step aside and to hand him his staff. The people around him look with worry but do not question him. With much needed effort from the healers Ombric got to his feet and gazed at the window outside. The wind seemed to emote the same emotions Ombric and a certain person was feeling.

"Trevvor," Ombric's voice creaked tiredly. "Bring me the _Djinni Robot."_

"Master?" Trevvor's brow creased with worry. He had a very bad feeling Ombric didn't wish to simply speak to the automaton.

"There is a place I must travel to."

"But, Master Ombric," the head healer began. "You must rest and stay here where it's-"

"Safe?" Ombric asked immediately, a frown drooped his wiry beard. "In a few good hours time, no place on this world will be safe. There is a great importance I must attend to."

"Master you cannot leave to assist the Guardians," Trevvor warned. "As an Elder you cannot interfere directly to them."

"I am aware of this," Ombric spoke in a tone sounding like this conversation was spoken many times before. "But something has occurred that forces me to aid the Guardians the best way that I can do for them now in this weary state of mind. I cannot do it while wasting away in my bed."

"But what is it, master?"

Ombric looked over at the sky, dark clouds looming over his once prosperous village and haven. "A light is flickering out."

* * *

**Q-A: **O.O This was such a hard chapter to write. First I was trying to do a recreation of the ruined Easter scene from the movie but I didn't want it to be a carbon copy so I scrapped it. Next I came up with the idea of having the Shadow posses the Guardians into attacking Bridget but that wouldn't make sense in later chapters of him/it having that power and never using it again or why he didn't use it earlier. So I went with the vision thing where Bridget became confused with which reality she was in. Kinda psychotic in a way huh? And let's not forget the angst in here, which the next chapter will have plenty more just to warn you. But on the bright side Ombric is going to finally do something and help out Bridget.

Will Ombric screw the rules (YGOTAS FTW! XD) and go directly to Ireland to show Bridget the right way or will something else entirely different happen? I know what'll happen but I can't tell you. X3 Sorry that is not how I work. A good song that would go with this chapter would defiantly be Phil Collins's _No Way Out _(I think the lyrics, especially the first lines_, _are a pretty good giveaway)_. _If you want a teaser and hint for the next chapter another Collin's song would be _Everything that I am. _That chapter will finally get some answers. Perhaps not all of them, I might have to make a two-parter again who knows?

Next I want to say thank you to a more recent reviewer on my story. What he/she wrote has to be one of the nicest things I have heard in a long time. I have been worried since the Kildare arc of the story that it would go a direction that people would not like and end up hating. But the Guest thought otherwise. Not only did he/she said this was one of the best stories on the site but that it was the first time he/she wrote a review. The fact that my story caused someone to actually write down everything they felt about it and for the first time really makes me feel chocked up. (; Not once have I ever thought I could affect a person like that. It is why I continue doing this story for the sake of telling a new chapter to a wonderful film we all know and (hopefully) love but because you've all grown to love this story and feel for the characters I've written. Sadly the person decided to be a Guest so I don't know their real user name and stuff but hopefully you know who you are and know that I do intend to….

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'

(P.S this is literally the LONGEST A.N. I've written in like forever XD)


	31. Who I am

**Q-A: **Well here we go with chapter 31. This is where things FINALLY get revealed. Yeah, yeah, you all must want to know badly and things will be noted. You just need to wait and read.

**Disclaimer: **I own none of the characters. Bridget is mine and her story is a fabrication of my own thought process. I don't pretend that I am a mythology expert on the Tuatha Dé Danann so if anything is not exactly how it was 'written out' I apologize in advance.

* * *

_~Who I am~_

"Why did you just let her go?!" Jack yelled out in anger. He yelled again when he felt his hand pinch.

"Sorry," Tooth apologized as she rewrapped Jack's bindings. It was hard to say if she was asking for forgiveness from the inflicted pain or for Bridget's disappearance.

"You were lying on the ground, Frost. We couldn't just leave you to go after." Bunny attempted to reason.

"Well that's stupid. Ow!-" Jack winced from the pulled bandages. "We can't just let her off on her own like that."

"Jack," North began comfortingly. "Ve cannot just-"

"What?" Jack barked venomously, his blue eyes hardening into a dark ice. "Go after her? Because she lied to you? That she didn't tell you guys her powers? Well guess what, the reason she did that was because she feared you'd judge her and not give her a chance."

North breathed hollowly, his breading trembling. "Jack, you know ve vould not do that to her."

Jack laughed an airless chuckle. "Oh really? You'd go after her? Sure you would, because that's what the Guardians are meant to do; go and protect the children. After what you saw her do to me you won't forgive her. Even if it clearly wasn't her fault you still judged her because she made one mistake and you'll jump to conclusions and say she did it on purpose." With every word he spoke, Jack felt his voice turned emotional. "Just because she did something wrong doesn't mean she's not sorry. She almost lost us dozens of times on this trip, you really think she would turn her back on you?"

The Guardians exchanged looks between each other. Bunny was the last to gaze at everyone until he frowned sympathetically at Jack. "You're not talking about Bridget anymore. Are you, Jack."

Jack yanked his head toward Bunny. He breathed heavily, trying hard to not let any tears escape his eyes. "Why…why did you think I betrayed all of you at Easter? After what Pitch did to Sandy, you think I'd work for that monster?" The tears soon fell while he made an attempt to wipe them away. "You didn't give me a chance to explain. You all hoped for the worst. What kind of Guardian gives up that easily? I'm still a kid and none of you ever came to help or…." Jack felt his face grow evidently wet as his breathing became thinner. A pair of warm arms wrapped around him.

Tooth embraced Jack in the most comforting way she could. She rubbed his back to slow his hitched breathing and allowing him to calm down. The thundering ice storm overhead was slowly evaporating until every cloud vanished.

"What we did in the past is unforgivable," Tooth spoke after giving herself some space between them. "Jack, what we said and did was horrible and we were all sorry for what we had done." She smiled slightly before gesturing to Sandy. "Sandy wasn't happy when he learned what happened during Easter."

Sandy nodded vehemently until he wagged his finger at North and Bunny. He gave Bunny a very serious look that made the pooka feel smaller than normal.

"I know, I know." Bunny raised his paws up in defense. "Snapping at Jack wasn't right, but in the end things did turn out all right."

North stepped up a foot near Jack and Tooth and kneeled beside them. "Yes, vhat Bunny says is true but that doesn't mean ve should have forgotten about it. Ve vanted to apologize for our absent of the judgment for you."

"Mmm-hmm," Tooth nodded. She removed her arms and stood up again with the use of Bridget's former cane. "We wanted to spend more time with you after defeating Pitch. It was the reason why we held so many meetings, not because we needed to talk about important matters but to throw a little get together."

"A party if you vill." North added with a smile.

Jack raised an eyebrow, incredulous to that statement. "A party?"

"Yes," Bunny nodded. "It was supposed to be our way of trying to patch things up with you and to get to know ya better, but you never showed to any of them after you ditched from the actual meetings." His ears drooped in shame. "For us to have ignored all those years wasn't the best move in our parts. 'Course we barely spent time with anyone else after Katherine and Nightlight vanished but that is not excuse for how we treated you."

Jack almost chocked. They actually felt sorry for what happened at Easter? None of them still believed it was his fault. Was Bridget right?

Tooth sighed sadly and frowned. "We're supposed to be there for children and yet we couldn't be there for you. Even if you're magical Jack that shouldn't exclude you from needing someone."

"At least Sandy spent time vith him on occasion." North rubbed his face in realization. "And that should've been good reason to prove vouldn't betray us since he and Sandy vere already good friends in first place." He cursed in his native tongue. "Vhy did I not see the coming of that?"

"None of us did." Bunny replied guilty. "We-I was too blinded to think straight." He looked directly at Jack with a look that was so foreign to Jack that he never seen on him. It looked like remorse, something much more sorrowful than the look of anguish from Easter. "When **I **said you broke our trust it really led you to lose your trust in us and for good reason."

Jack didn't know what to say. His mind became a total blank. For the last several months all he did was dedicate his time to spreading snow and being there for Jamie on the sly. He devoted every minute in avoiding his fellow Guardians and despite that they still treated him so kindly.

"Ve understand now that you've been through a lot in the past centuries." North placed a gentle hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack please do believe us vhen ve say that ve know how hard it can be being alone." He gestured to himself. "I had to spent seven years alone in Siberia forest after leaving Cossacks. That vas no holiday I tell you. I had no one to rely on and vas entirely on my own."

"I always thought I had it bad when I was isolated in the jungle," Tooth smiled sadly at Jack. "Ten years is nothing compared to 300, but at least you didn't know the fate of your loved ones." She wiped the newly formed tears from her eyes and adverted her gaze from Jack.

Bunny approached Jack rather nervously before he began to say his word. "I had the choice to be by myself, claiming I preferred my privacy. In truth I was only trying to forget of the past and my mistakes. Sure I was the last Pooka to live but that was due solely on the fact that I couldn't save my people. I tried burying my emotions in order to escape the grief that I had felt." Jack looked at him, confused at what this had to do with anything. Bunny noticed Jack's bewildered expression and quickly cut to the chase. "Why I brought that up is because I noticed the same thing from you since the whole…Kangaroo name calling back at Day 1. You had this upfront acting all cool and collected, mate, when really you we're hiding all the pain of being alone of those years."

"Thanks for insinuating all that." Jack glanced at everyone when he said that. He was still a little hesitant about trusting them.

"Vith all things considered, ve should have been there for you Jack Frost." North sighed to himself. He removed his hand off of Jack's shoulder and began to berate himself. "Vhy did I not come up vith giving you a place to live until this year? I could've offered you place years ago if I learned to not be so busy. Bridget is reason I've realized that now, and she is gone and it truly is our fault she is all alone again! How can ve call ourselves Guardians if ve can't even look after one child?"

"North, guys." Jack called out to everyone. "I think I'm getting what you're trying to say. You all went through the same things I did and feel crummy that you ignored me, that I can forgive you for." When he saw the looks of relief he quickly added to get their undivided attention again. "But you did the same thing to Bridget even though you realized your mistake right after mine. What gives?"

"Jack, vhile I did jump to conclusions vith Bridget you must understand that is because I do that vith everyone." North explained. "I alvays have made that blunder vith everyone I meet. But that is still not a good excuse for my behavior. I vas ready to hear her side of story vhen Bridget cried out for some reason and fled the area."

"None of us we're going to wrongfully accuse her. North always did act before thinking…oh don't give me that look North, you know it, I know it, and we all know it's true."

"Is that really true?" North asked in genuine shock.

Everyone, even Nightlight nodded slowly. Petrov who had joined the party not too long ago bobbed his head along with them. He knew that his master had the habit to do and say impulsive things in the past. It was how he became a Guardian in the first place, but that didn't really matter to Petrov, because like Jack, he wanted to find the apple-smelling girl and have her live in the North Pole. She could brush his fur everyday, feed him apples, go on rides, feed him apples, tell some fun stories, feed him apples, and feed him a bucket full of apples.

"_Apples…. yum." _

North sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "All right, all right. I get it. I'll work on that problem **after **Christmas."

"There might not be a Christmas or the rest of the year if that Scut has anything to say about it." Bunny crossed his arms. "First we need to find Bridget, give her the biggest apology ever, find that bloody stone, and then go kick that Crazy Crow Lady's butt."

Jack grinned in approval. "I like that. I really like the part of getting even with the Morrígan. She's the reason this whole mess started in the first place." If it weren't for her, Bridget most likely wouldn't have gone cuckoo. Jack knew the goddess had to caused Bridget to go crazy.

"Is that so?" An ominous voice echoed. Dark shadows covered the area as their impending doom loomed.

* * *

Bridget scowled angrily for the millionth time. She had crashed into more trees than she could count. A part of her felt annoyed, even outside of school she was still learning. Now she was counting the number of trees she was crashing into. Along with the roots she was tripping over, pebbles that slipped into her slipper-like shoes. It was all a mess. _"How is it I'm still going through hell even without all my 'peers' around to mock me?" _

She pushed herself off of the snow and shivered violently from the cold. Wind blew at her face with the force of an industrial fan. The force was so strong she almost fell back a few times. It was almost like the wind was pushing her back toward the clearing she had left a half hour ago.

"_Why do I have to be skinny as a leaf?" _Bridget sighed mentally. _"This wind will blow me away until I crumble into dust." _

Despite the cold and the strong airstream Bridget did her best to fight against it and continued on her way. She had no idea where she was going but as long as she wasn't going to hurt anyone again and stay clear of other people she could keep others safe.

"Yeah I should've came up with this idea a long time ago." Bridget said to herself in reassurance. "Run away into the deep forest and become a hermit. It'll be like _My Side of the Mountain, _only instead of a falcon for company I have a salamander."

Sal was proving how abnormal he was again by sitting on Bridget's shoulder. He opened his mouth when the occasional snowflake flew by and caught it with his mouth.

"You really are the strangest amphibian ever." Bridget sighed. "Of course you're a magic amphibian but that's beside the point. But you'll be the only magic that I want anything to do with, so consider yourself honored. I'm going to stay out of the so-called real world and the magical world for the rest of my life."

Bridget could've sworn she saw her sentient companion rolled his eyes. She had a feeling the more he was spending time with her, the more he was picking up her mannerisms. "Don't give me that look. I know what I am doing."

"_Yep, which is why you don't have your backpack with you, or a compass, or any food. **Or **any chance of survival." _

It was at that moment Bridget paused her walking and slapped her face (partially due to how cold her cheeks were and for her obvious idiocy).

She was screwed.

With nothing else coming into mind Bridget sighed in defeat and collapsed to the nearest tree. Her thin back made a noticeable 'plunk' sound the moment it collided with the pine. She cringed from the sudden pain in her spine but remained silent. Her face felt so numb that talking was impossible up to that point.

"_How am I kidding here? There's no way I can survive like this._" Bridget whimpered bitterly._ If I'm lucky I might just freeze to death and no one would find the body." _The cold wind blew so hard at her face, her eyelids began to close shut and the tears in her eyes glued them together. Even Sal could no longer take the cold as he scurried down from his napping spot and crawled back into Bridget's coat pocket. _"Must be warmer there than it is out here." _She attempted to stretch some skin for a smile but her muscles were too weak. Her breathing began to grow weaker with each breath barely pushing out. In a few more minutes Bridget would certainly recognize that her heart was ceasing to drum.

"_I guess this is it." _Bridget thought, her mind weakening. _"No one will know I'm here, like I wasn't meant to exist."_

* * *

Unknown to Bridget and her amphibian friend, several large black birds perched over their dead tree, unfazed by the storm. Their eyes bore into the half-frozen adolescent like a vulture analyzing its prey. They were ready to take her to the Phantom Queen.

"_Our Mistress will be pleased with this offering," _General Aingeal thought sinisterly. Her beak was partially opened in appearance to a smile. _"The Dark One would love the flesh belonging to a Blessed Child." _It was a well-known fact in the Legendary community that Blessed Children were said to taste sweeter than normal children.

"Be ready to strike down," Aingeal ordered to her subordinates. The other crows cawed in agreement. None of them had any worry of the human hearing them, the storm was so loud and windy nothing would see or hear them. "Ready….spread your wings…" Beady eyes narrowed at the hunched mass in the snow. "And…"

"Fire," another voice whispered seconds later.

* * *

Bridget was starting to forget what the feeling of heat was until fire was shooting right above her head. She jerked her head toward the direction of where she heard cries of alarm. A blast from a fireball, that wasn't made by her for once, damaged the tree while black crows cawed away. Tinier balls of fire shot down at the wayward birds and turned them into ash. Bridget barely had time to register this unexplained phenomenon when she heard wood cracking.

Bridget jumped away in time the moment a branch fell to the ground, exactly where she had been lying down.

"_Well I guess my heart is still working because it's beating faster than the time I drank coffee for the first time." _Bridget breathed in and out while staying as far away from the burning tree limb as possible.

Hearty cackling was heard overhead. Bridget widened her eyes in a mix between amazement and utter shock.

"You should've seen the looks on their faces." The Legendary Dragon of Wales smiled as wide as her human mouth to spread. "Tân! Tân! Don't let it near my bum!" She clung to a non-burning tree in order to keep herself falling from her shaky laughter. Her brown short cut bobbed in the slowing wind. "Oh that was rich!

Bridget arched an eyebrow, incredulous. "'T-Tân?'"

Scarlett ceased her pearls of laughter long enough to answer. "Helô to you too, merch. It means 'fire' in my native tongue. Surely a human should know the meaning?"

Before Bridget could reply, 'No I'm not Welsh to know it,' another voice scoffed a rebuttal. "Bah! Wha' can a measly little human know anythin' abou-'"

Scarlett rolled her bright green eyes. "Go gold-dig in a ditch, Eamon you slime-ball." Moments later Scarlett descended down the tree like a fireman's pole; since most of the tree's branches were completely singed off they weren't going to hurt her. She jumped off the tree gracefully and landed on the ground in a glorious thump.

Bridget gaped when she noticed that Scarlett looked different than the last time she saw her. Scarlett was a full-fledged human. The ram-curved horns that were once atop her head like a two pointed crown were gone, the tiny green wings could not be seen fluttering behind her back, and the once curly tail was nowhere in sight.

"You-you l-oo-k-k diff-er-ant." Bridget chattered through her ice-cub cold teeth.

"You too," The dragon-human squinted at Bridget. "Did you change yer hair?"

Bridget instinctively pulled at the lone braid and looked to the ground.

Scarlett sighed. "Yeah, it's that damn barrier that did this to me," she gestured to her chest and the rest of her body. "I could never get the whole human form right in the first place so I knew something was wrong when I crashed in _Allen's Bog."_

"Bog **of **Allen," Eamon croaked irritably.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Like I care about that. Do ye know how long it took to get all that 'effing mud out of mah hair?"

The two Legendaries began to ensure into an argument. Their whole spat did not faze Bridget in the least bit. She was so use to dealing with magic that nothing could surprise her anymore. "Y-y-you t-ta-two n-n-ne-ed hel-p," she attempted to say but had trouble forming a proper sentence. Goosebumps wrapped around her forearm and legs through the colorful fabric of her clothes when the snow melted into them.

"_Great," _Bridget cursed. "J-ust-t wh-at-I nnn-eeed. Wet clothes."

Suddenly great warmth came to Bridget's side. She turned to see Scarlett sitting on her right with an arm wrapped over the girl's shoulders. "Can't have you turning into an icicle." The skin near her eyes wrinkled in good humor. "That would ruin the mission all together."

With the great warmth heating Bridget up like a sauna she was able to pronounce a proper sentence again. "What mission?"

Scarlett coughed, whether intentional or not. "To get you out of this little piece of hell, that's what."

"Excuse me?" Eamon narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Did you jus' call mah homeland, a 'little piece of-"

"Don't deny it, Eamon." Scarlett shook her head. "In a good 12 hours this rock, and the rest of the world will be in real Hell. I don't think that old man knows it yet but you can never be sure with wizards."

"Wait." Bridget pushed some space between her and Scarlett, only to instantly regret it milliseconds later when the harsh cold air bombarded her.

Scarlett tut'ed. "When will the merch learn that being in the cold is a bad thing? Even I should know. I should be hibernating now if it weren't for that damned wizard, coming into **mah **cave, waking me up, telling me to pick you up, and take you back to his village."

Bridget didn't need a second guess to figure out who the wizard was. "Ombric."

Scarlett hummed in agreement. "Told me exactly to go look for you, find you, and get you back to that village of his."

"Did he say why?"

Scarlett shrugged her free shoulder. "Hell should I know, but I he did say it was important to find you since he claimed you were nearing ahh, uhh. What in the world did he say?"

"'That her light is goin' out and needs to be rekindled again,'" Eamon answered in a bored tone.

"And you know about that because?" Scarlett narrowed **her **eyes at the Leprechaun.

Eamon shifted his eyes around, not looking anywhere near the dragon's general direction.

Scarlett did not cease glaring at the small fey as she placed a protective hand over her **golden **brooch. "Yer not gettin' yer filthy paws on this here."

"Who said I wanted something that touched you?"

"Why you little-"

"Can you two just stop it?" Bridget snapped. "I don't need any of your help, so if you wish to bicker until Kingdom Come fine by me."

Scarlett squinted her eyes; she could not believe what she was hearing. "Are you serious? Are you actually kidding me?"

Bridget frowned but remained silent. She turned her head away and stared deeply into the snow. When she felt Scarlett trying to keep her hold on her Bridget jerked away and stood up, not at once caring about the cold anymore. "I am not going to be forced to do anything by magic again. I've had enough of it. I'm so angry that it can control me so easily. I don't want anything to do with it any longer. I don't even care if your stupid moon will do something to me. If it means I'll not be a threat to anyone, then that's fine by me."

Eamon was ready to exclaim how childish the human was being until Scarlett silenced him with a gesture from her hand. She used no magic on him to be quiet; she simply had that affect on people. Intimidation, it was a talent only dragons could pull off no matter what. Even in her somewhat useless form Y Ddraig Goch could still paralyze a being with her hypnotic dragon eyes. That part of her never changed no matter the form she took. She put her attention back to Bridget.

"Merch," Scarlett began. "I don't pretend that I am not aware of your weariness of me or the Leprechaun, but we are both here to help you. Clearly something has happened to make you lose your trust on us."

"I've had it up to here giving my trust to people," Bridget leveled her hand up to her neck in order to visualize her point properly. "Already in the past I gave it to families thinking I'd fit in or make a home for myself. In the end it always failed when my true self shone. I tried to explained to them but they never listened, and now the only people who I thought I could trust didn't believe in me. The same people who said they'd never give up on a child." She coughed up an airless chuckle. "But I guess that's how it works when you're an official adult; you don't need a Guardian anymore."

"What happened?" Scarlett asked with clear authority. She spoke with the voice that would've made her ancestors shake and growl with pride.

"Just like I said; the Guardians didn't give me their trust."

"Okay so was that before or after you shot fire at them."

Bridget widened her eyes in shock. "How did you know I could summon fire?"

Scarlett blinked and admitted. "I mostly knew, but I now know it's true because you told me right now." When Bridget groaned in annoyance and shivered violently Scarlett did only what she could do. With what little super strength she had left Scarlett broke several of the tree's branches, clung them together, and built a fire from a ball in her mouth. She crouched down to throw some kindling in and shot another ball when there weren't enough flames. The dragon looked up at Bridget. "Well since you aren't willing to go back or forward, and you most certainly won't come near me, at least give me some solace knowing you're not freezing your arse and sit by the fire. You don't think it'll hurt you, do ya?"

Bridget glanced at the recently made fire. It didn't look anything like a fire conjured from magic. The flames were as safe looking as the fires she had seen in the past. "I guess I don't have much of a choice do I?"

"Of course ye do," Eamon sputtered in his usual irritated way. "Ev'ryone's got a choice. That's how fate works out."

"Nay," Scarlett disagreed. "Fate cannot be changed no matter how you try to mend it." She smiled weakly into the fire. "I've seen many a foolish man who tempted to change his fate. This brooch I wear belonged to a man who tempted it once." Her index finger pointed to the jeweled treasure. "No one can change the way the world works."

"Too bad," Bridget replied nonchalantly. "Because the Morrígan is planing to do just that."

Eamon groaned and clamped his ears. "Don't say **'ER** name if you know what's good for you. Saying **HER **name brings bad luck to those unlucky souls."

Bridget frowned and sighed loudly. She flung a lose piece of wood into the fire. "That explains everything then."

"How long have you had your firepowers?" Scarlett asked quizzingly.

"You still didn't explain how you know that I have that power." Bridget countered.

"I can smell it on you," Scarlett explained. When Bridget gave her a confused look, the dragon tentatively asked Bridget to lay out her hand. The redhead looked conflicted for a moment but slowly brought her palm out. "See here, well actually you can't with your eyes not being developed as mine are, but here inside the pores are the tiniest bit of soot." Bridget did start to notice small spots of black on her hand after Scarlett mentioned it. Why didn't she see it before?

"I hadn't noticed that before." Bridget admitted in slight awe.

"Most people never pay attention to the smaller things in life," Scarlett grinned.

"Pfft," Eamon rolled his eyes. "Nothing can help them with that. If humans did pay attention then I'd be out of a job. Who else can...retrieve gold?"

"Actually miners?" Scarlett asked with heavy sarcasm

"No arguing guys," Bridget warned while rubbing her hands near the fire. She honestly had no idea what to do. She couldn't just leave the two alone, they would fight each other to the death if she did that. Making a run for it wouldn't be wise either since she was still too weak from the cold.

The cold caused Bridget to zone out again. She saw herself walking alone in a forest much like the one she was in only it was near a village that was much older looking than the ones she saw in Ireland. It was something like the early American settlers or colonists. She was about a few feet from the charming village until the familiar darkness she was use to seeing came back and enveloped everything into nothingness.

Bridget winced in pain from the vision. Scarlett tilted her head in concern. "Something bothering you?"

"Nothing," Bridget grunted.

Scarlett sighed and shook her head. "There is no such thing as nothing."

"It's nothing," Bridget insisted. "Just some hallucination."

"That or something else entirely different." Scarlett poked at the fire with a stick, staring at it pensively. She spoke nothing but Bridget could tell she wanted something to be said.

"I'm not sure what they are." Bridget looked to the ground her vision looking blurry thanks to the damaged glasses. "Ever since I arrived in Ireland weird things kept happening to me. I barely have much control over my powers. When I summon fire it's bigger than what it normally was." She rubbed her face in contemplation, her glasses became askew but she did not care for it. "And the visions. I have no idea what's been going on about them. They've been coming and going all the time now. First it was seeing myself pulling some sort of cart in the air, next was a girl dancing around a bonfire, then me fighting against a woman and….and, then I was accused of doing something horrible by this tall man and telling me I didn't belong in his tribe or something." The memories of the Guardians distraught looks flashed before her eyes as she attempted to bury them away. "Next, well it looked like I was walking in a forest that I didn't even walk into before. It's all a mess."

Scarlett nodded sympathetically. "A mess, or memories."

Bridget did a double take. "What?"

"That's what they could be. Memories from yer past or something about your future, take yer pick."

Bridget shook her head. "I don't care about any of that."

"Says the girl who's trying to run away from who she is."

"NO I'M NOT!" Bridget accidently conjured a fireball that struck a nearby tree. Once the smoke cleared, revealing a hole straight through the tree, Bridget sighed. She stood up and paced around talking deeply about her mistakes. "See this has nothing to do with me, but I'm stuck with it. All my life people treated me like some freak. Calling me a monster but never giving me a chance to explain myself. Agh, nothing I do ever turns out the way I want it to. Everything I touch or get in contact just burns. Why can't I do anything right?"

Bridget sighed unhappily before crouching down again. "It's better for everyone if I didn't exist."

Scarlett at the girl for a moment, her eyes soon sparkled with newfound understanding. "I see, so you're letting your powers control you. Even though you said you won't let them."

"They aren't controlling me."

"Denial is not a river in Egypt."

"I'm not denying anything." Bridget narrowed her eyes, her tone becoming dangerously low.

Scarlett hummed in amusement. While she was distracted Eamon attempted to snatch the brooch from under her nose. In the last second Scarlett swatted away his hand effortlessly and shoved him to the other side of the wood.

"For somebody stuck in a human form you're still pretty strong." Bridget pointed out.

Scarlett smiled. "It's because I don't let mah limitations or mah past control me. I can be whatever I want to be if I believe it."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "Belief, what good does that do anymore?"

"A lot of things. Seeing how you believe in me, the Guardians and to a lesser extant, Shorty over there." Scarlett thumbed toward the stumbling Eamon as he was dragging himself back to the campfire. "Can you see how powerful believing in one's self can do? Of course I can't turn back into mah true form but I won't let that get me down. I have enough strength left in me to do something. No matter what others say I can't let it get to me."

Bridget felt the great anvil of irony hit her on the head that almost knocked her out.

"It's not what people say about you that matters but what you do after it. Continue to be a monster or try to use your gifts for something good." Scarlett continued, "I've had my share of people mistaking me for some freak of nature that only wanted to destroy. Of course I got angry for them to think that way about me but I won't let it control me."

"Too late," Bridget replied miserably. "Someone else did that to me earlier. I was like a puppet but at the same time I was aware of what was happening and….**enjoyed **it." Bridget felt disgusted with herself. "It was so wrong."

"If you regret it then there is nothing to worry about."

"Oh year, tell that to the Guardians because after what I did I'd be surprise if they still wanted to talk to me." Bridget looked over at her right wrist and sighed sadly while gazing at the crystal-like snowflake. "It would be a miracle if he still wanted to talk to me."

Even though it was barely a whisper Scarlett heard Bridget. "So then you'll just give up without giving it a try? And you keep denying your past despite your fear of it."

Bridget glared at the dragon-human. "I already tried millions of times before, and I'm not afraid of my past."

"Then why do you keep rejecting it, even though it's trying to embrace you?" Bridget had a good feeling Scarlett was talking about more of the visions alongside Bridget's harsh childhood. "You can't ignore what happened in the past. That's all it is, in the past. You can either let it control you or simply learn from it like history has always been there for others. If the past is trying to call to you don't ignore it. Let all of the bad emotions flow out of you like the fire coming out of your pores. Let it go, stop fighting it."

Bridget looked at the fire and saw how its heat was melting the snow around it. They were so different from each other there was no chance they could work together.

…They were two opposites. Both separated but needing the other to protect something greater. Summer and Winter, Sun and Rain, her conflicting mind and her quarreling heart. "Just trust my feelings and let my mind and spirit separate." Bridget said to herself, remembering the lessons Bunny taught her all those days ago. Slowly she stood up near the fire and took the Preparation stance and breathed in and out slowly. For the first time she started to mull over her past and the jumbled visions.

All the moments she was ridiculed, ostracized never given on chance to be accepted. Bridget winced from the pain but did not push it back this time; she let ever emotion flow out of her while tears broke through her eyelids.

Eamon stared deeply at Bridget's torc. He was ready to step up to….get it back until Scarlett shoved him to the ground again with her bottom sitting on his face. "Try to get out of that one, Shorty."

"Ir 'ate yoo." Eamon choked angrily though it came out muffled. Scarlett shushed him, citing him to keep quiet.

Bridget did not pay any heed to the duo as she continued through her inner battle. All her negative past experiences chilled her skin like cold metal wrapping around her body and choking her heart. When a snowflake landed on her nose did Bridget felt the cool air nip at her.

_"True magic's power is from the belief."_ The voice of North formed in her mind. Bridget smiled at the memories she had with him and the rest of the Guardians. All the harsh experiences of her past began to melt away like snow toward the fire of her warmer, happier memories. It was as if the Mini-fairies came to her own teeth box and touched the recent memories of the past year.

Bridget could think of the kind, encouraging words Carol gave her before arriving in Burgess. Bridget thought of the wonderful stories she shared with Jamie and the rest of the Burgess Believers. The pretend Battle of Burgess during Halloween. The first Thanksgiving with a sand covered gravy boat. The first day of snow came with a whirlwind of emotions. Her mind melded into a comforting breeze from the times she shared with Jack. The freaky tale they collaborated in telling to the bullies. The flight to North's workshop and wonderful stories told around hot cocoa.

The night of a tearful farewell to the Bennett household flew away as quickly as it came. Words of shock and discovery among the Moon's directions vanished after words of comfort and promises made came into mind. Fun tales and games spun around during a sleigh ride. The beautiful gift of sight granted to her. The embraces she shared with the Guardians came into her mind. From when they were ready to call it quits to when they comforted her for the loss of the stone. To the moment she had with Jack back at the pond less than a night ago, to the sheer feeling of being taken in by the Guardians. She could see it; she didn't need her glasses to imagine what it would be like; to have a home.

"They weren't going to abandon me," Bridget said in realization. "Not after everything we've been through. They still care for me just like I care for them."

The good moments of her past began to shake away the sad recollections of her trauma. All that was left were the visions that haunted her mind.

"_Bridget!" _The redhead shot her eyes open when she heard her name. She turned toward Scarlett and Eamon. "Did one of you just say my name?"

"Uh, no." Scarlett shook her head.

"Should've known the human was going crazy." Eamon sighed, regretting his time being wasted with the human more and more.

"_Bridget." _The voice called again. Bridget got herself out of her Tai-Chi position this time and twisted her head around any direction she could see with her cracked glasses. The only noticeable sight she could see was the sun was beginning to finally rise and the village of Kildare being only a few miles away. The sun could be seen peaking over the Cathedral's tower as she heard the voice again. _"Bridget." _

"Those voices," Bridget squinted her eyes in deep thought. "I-I think I heard them before."

"What voices? Don' tell me yer losing yer mind now." Eamon sighed. "Figures I always get set up with the mental ones."

Scarlett growled. "Well you don't have to be here, no one's stopping you."

"I came for what is rightfully mine and the thief it taking it with her."

"What are you," Scarlett trailed off when she saw that Bridget was starting to walk toward Kildare. "All right, what's going on this time?" She jumped up and ran after the human girl.

"Something or someone wants to talk with me." Bridget explained while staring directly at the tower. She pointed toward it. "I think I need to go there, but I'm not sure."

"You do remember Ombric told me to get you out of here," Scarlett questioned.

"But he didn't say **when**." Bridget smirked.

Scarlett widened her eyes, impressed by Bridget. "Clever girl. Fair enough, but if you want to take a little detour then you better let me tag along."

"Oh no," Eamon shot up himself and stood beside the women. "I won't let either of you near that sacred monument. It holds great importance to the people here and more importantly to me." He crossed his arms in agreement.

"Then you come with." Bridget suggested. "Unless you'd rather we go by ourselves, probably breaking the front door, scraping the floor with our feet, cause some accidental damage to the whole church."

Eamon cursed loudly. "Fine, fine! But I be better getting my trinket back."

Bridget covered her bracelet protectively. "Heck no, Jack took a lot of his time to get this for me. I should probably apologize to him later about that." Bridget added the last part to herself.

"If you call turning me into an ice sculpture and sic me onto a playground full of snotty-nosed brats is Frostbite's idea of wasting time-"

"I would call that 'investing his time' in my opinion." Scarlett cut in playfully. The Leprechaun gave her another dirty look.

"Just do what I told you and quit fighting. I know an actual brother and sister that get along better than you two, and that screws the law of sibling rivalry." Bridget paid little attention to them again as started to walk down toward the village.

* * *

"Oh we been goin' at it for who knows 'ow long." Eamon moaned miserably. "My ankles are killin' me and I feel dizzy all over."

"Quit your gripping you lazy lout," Scarlett was able to warble her voice to match her old growls. "We've only been walking for five minutes. Quit acting so weak."

"Not all of us have legs as long and wide as a caber."

"That's not even Irish!"

"Hey," Bridget whispered in the loudest way possible. "Didn't I tell you to stop fighting?"

"We're just playing nice," Scarlett replied feigning innocence.

Bridget fought the urge to roll her eyes and failed miserably. "Just do what I told you, please?" She was no longer livid with their continuing arguing. It was becoming more of an annoyance than anything. As it turned out there was barely a small populace awareness of magical creatures in Kildare. Aside from the children (a few which Bridget and the Disputing Duo needed to avoid while traveling) most of the adults barely looked toward their direction, so the two could yell and snap at the other as much as they wanted to, much to Bridget's unfortunate luck.

"_I wonder if I sneak to a pet shop I can grab a couple of muzzles without anyone noticing." _Bridget thought as her patience was starting to become wiry.

Eventually, but not soon enough, the trio arrived to the cathedral. Bridget unfortunate luck was still affecting her when she realized that the front gates were locked.

"How can a church be locked?" Bridget fumed. "Churches are supposed to be open for the public or whatever. I mean don't they allow people in when they have no where else to go to?"

"Like you?" Eamon offered. Bridget shot him a look.

"Calm down, merch, I've dandled worse situations than this before." Scarlett cracked her knuckles for good measure and locked her hands on each metal bar.

"Um, Scarlett I don't think-"

"I can open any lock that comes three feet of me," Scarlett gloated overzealously. She grunted while she pulled at the metal bar, barely making the metal shift or move in the slightest. She pulled at the gates again until her tanned face turned red and her hands were pale as Bridget's. "Okay, clearly something is wrong with this bloody picket fence."

"You're in a human form, remember?" Bridget asked tentatively in the most comforting manner she could muster. She knew what it was like to feel useless.

"Please," Eamon sighed dramatically. "Don't you know anythin' about the church and how they feel about dragons?"

Scarlett scowled. "Watch it, O'Doherty, or else I'll reconsider mah vow of devouring those of the flesh."

For some reason that made Bridget go very uncomfortable. She took a good foot away from the dragon.

"Are keep yer pants on lass, and do 'cuz the last thing I want to see is a woman's-"

"Could you just get to your point or shut up?" Bridget snapped with her arms crossed.

Eamon brushed his shoulders for no other reason than he could and walked toward the gate, he was practically strutting the whole way there.

"Prat," Scarlett muttered under her breath. A part of her wished she could burn off the prat's prat but remembered getting a leprechaun's bad side wasn't the smartest thing to do. They were annoying, but could ruin your life without a second thought.

Eamon strode up to the gates and inspected the metal and lock like a doctor seeing into a person's ear. He put a hand in his pocket and picked out some lock picks. He inserted the metal prongs in while the girls watched.

"Heh, I should've known you were a thief after all." Scarlett rolled her eyes.

Eamon shot her a look before he resumed his occupation.

"I think we should just let him do this," Bridget said. "It's nice that you are doing this, Eamon."

The Leprechaun shrugged his shoulders. "Breaking into a church wouldn't be the first sin I've committed."

Bridget silently decided asking the other bad things he had done would be a fate worse than death, and a question on her sanity.

In a few moments a large clacking noise could be heard and the gates swung in perfect unison. Eamon was able to catch the looks of astonishment and awe as he walked forward smugly.

"I have to admit I'm grateful that you two are here with me." Bridget spoke to Scarlett quietly, out of fear of being discovered.

The dragon-turned human eyed the girl, impressed. "Is that so?"

"I honestly thought you weren't going to come to Ireland with ….**HER **running around."

Scarlett looked to the ground and sighed. "That wizard friend of yours can be very persuasive."

A slight awkward silence soon fell upon them. Bridget attempted to hunt for the voices again but her luckless streak did nothing to help. Sunlight splashed through the stained glass windows, creating an array of mixed colors of red, yellow, blue, and green. On the glass Bridget noticed there were figures on them. She wasn't that exposed to medieval art so she had trouble figuring out if it was a man or woman.

"There she is," Eamon spoke with honest to good pride in his voice. Bridget nearly staggered back in shock. He was actually sounding nice for another being. Eamon even took his hat off in respect when he kneeled to the altar. "One of the three saints of Ireland, and probably the only one that treated the old ways with reverence, bless her Brigid of Kildare."

Okay, now Bridget was ready to faint. "Brigid?"

"Aye," Eamon replied. "I'm guessing you never heard of her?"

Bridget gaped at the stained glass image that was starting to look more like a woman with each passing second. St. Brigid was a lady with an emotionless smile plastered on pale skin. Her robes were very colorful with dark purple and faded red and green tunic. In her hands was a book Bridget assumed was meant to be the Bible while in the other was a small trapezoid shape that was mixed with red and orange. Bridget had no trouble guessing that it was an interpretation of a flame.

Scarlett walked over to Bridget was a goading smile. "Never thought the Church actually had a woman the represented fire huh? And let's not forget her **true **origins now do we?"

Eamon nodded. "The only one that got recognition they say."

Bridget suddenly felt small while looking at the image of a saint she had apparently had more in common than anyone else. "Well I-"

"_Bridget!" _The voices had returned again. Bridget stopped putting her attention at the stained glass. _"Bridget!" _The redhead heard her name echoing around the room as she walked through aisle after aisle to get a better sound.

"Bridget?" She turned to see it was Scarlett this time that called her name. Bridget saw that the woman held a concerned look that clearly read her worry.

"I think someone is trying to find me," her gray eyes downcasted. "Or they're wanting me to find them."

"Then let's get out of here." Eamon whispered harshly. "This is exactly why I avoid churches; they always attract the most undesirable things."

"I need to know who of what they are." Bridget said with reason. She turned her attention toward a door after hearing her name being called again. "There has to be a reason why I keep getting visions. If what you said Scarlett, about those visions being memories, then I who ever is calling me must know."

"Or it could be **HER **trying to bewitch you." Scarlett added.

Bridget paused her walking momentarily before turning her attention toward the dragon. Her eyes stared deeply into the hypnotic green. She almost became dizzy from the stare but kept her ground. "I won't let that happen to me again. I would die before letting some old hag use me like some puppet."

"If you get out of here now you won't worry about it."

"And what just hide for the rest of my life until the Apocalypse comes to Santoff Claussen?" Bridget shook her head from incredulity. "Nothing can be fixed unless the Morrígan-" "YOU SPEAK HER NAME!" Eamon cried. Bridget ignored him, "is stopped for good, and the only way for that to happen is to have all the Treasures together."

"And you think finding the source of the voices in yer head is a good place to start?" Scarlett asked in a balanced voice that sounded neither trusting nor doubtful.

Bridget shrugged and replied honestly. "I really don't know, but if knowing more about myself can help in the slightest than sure." Without another word Bridget followed the voices toward a corridor that led to the outside courtyard.

Eamon inched toward Scarlett and glanced at her before watching Bridget's retreating figure. "She's got determination, that I'll admit."

"She's stubborn." Scarlett finalized. A soft smile soon appeared. "That can either be a useful tool or a signing of her death warrant."

"Do ya think Shalazar will be happy to hear that?" Eamon did not really care for the wizard but he did remember hearing about how stressed his was from Scarlett's mutterings.

"Personally I don't think he wanted me to bring her home." Scarlett walked along not missing the astonished look from Eamon. He scrambled ahead to reach her, sputtering questions as to what she meant by that.

"He just wanted for her to have a substitute Guardian to look after her until the time is right." Scarlett continued to follow the human, being more than willing to trudge until the ends of the earth.

Luckily for her, the end was only a courtyard away.

* * *

The outside courtyard of the church looked small with its small patch of green in contrast to the rest of the snow-covered landscape.

"Hardly any snow here at all," Scarlett, pointed out as she and Eamon emerged out of the church, but not at the same time of course.

"Perhaps those monk people shoveled it away." Eamon replied with little enthusiasm.

Scarlett gave the Irish Fae a look. "You've been living here for who knows how many centuries and you don't know the correct name for clergymen?"

Eamon became most livid. "I'll have you know that **I **come from a great clan that has been living in Ireland since the 4th Century."

Scarlett yawned out of boredom. "An' I've been since the second one, your point?"

Bridget was tapping a nearby tombstone before she put her attention back to the duo. "Do you both need a time out? I'm the one that's ready to blow my lid if you keep this up."

Eamon and Scarlett blinked at the girl with growing esteem. They appeared to accept Bridget's command from that very esteem. At least until Eamon pointed at Scarlett and accusingly said, "She started it."

Bridget sighed. She was starting to believe she was going nowhere with these two just when the voices came back.

"_Go to where the sun meets the sky."_

Bridget mulled over the words, trying to find a hidden meaning behind them. When her eyes trailed off toward the tower another vision flashed before her eyes.

* * *

_It was nighttime over the field; the only souls daring enough to stay out in the cold sleet were two figures beside the tower. For miles all there could be seen was the tower. No other buildings or structures were seen. For the first time Bridget was in her own body and could move freely on her own. None of the rain touched her body while she took a step closer to the two people. With each step Bridget could see the beings clearly. At first she thought they were Scarlett and Eamon because of the similar heights but realized that it was two different beings all together. One looked a lot like a Leprechaun only he appeared much older than Eamon with graying hair and long beard covered by an Emerald cloak. The person before him appeared to be a woman due to the shape of her cloak clinging to her frame._

_Bridget had a feeling the rain was the cause for that. _

"_I am grateful that you have arrived here so quickly." The woman's voice was surprisingly weak sounding. Almost as if she was older than she appeared to be. Bridget could barely tell since the woman's posture was erect and poised. She would have thought the woman was nearly twenty or early thirties. "I was afraid this sudden storm would surely be to much for you, __Ríoghán."_

"_Didn't Eamon say that was his grandfather's name?" Bridget asked herself. She did recall the Leprechaun going on about his family tree while leaving the forest. A part of Bridget felt that Eamon's family history was longer than Ireland's._

"_I would do much for you, my lady." This Leprechaun's voice was very ancient but much more humble than Eamon, Bridget was sure of that. "To give aid for the great Lady Bríde is an honor bestowed to my clan since the very beginning."_

_Bridget zoned out when she heard Bríde. Her hands quickly brushed over the stitching on her coat. This is it, she thought. I am seeing the woman that made the crosses I have on my jacket._

_Those were the most intelligent words Bridget could think at the moment. _

_The woman sighed sadly. "I fear I no longer am associated with that name anymore, old friend. The Milesians' descendents insist on calling me by my Christian name." She laughed with little emotion. "They have even given me the title of a saint for all my good deeds. To think centuries before I was just one of many who simply did what was meant to be done, now in this time when you create a haven for others they say it is because of a great deity."_

"_Saint Brigid." Bridget concluded correctly. Perhaps the mysterious __Bríde and Brigid had more in common than Bridget had thought. _

"_Aye," __Ríoghán nodded solemnly. "Dark times are coming ahead." Almost on cue thunder roared high above. _

"_It would be __**HER **__doing I'm afraid." Bridget felt her heart go out to the woman. Her voice was tired and almost rout sounding. __Bríde seemed to be the kind of person who went through many confrontations and had enough of them. She peered toward the sky as a bolt of lightning flashed. "I will need to leave soon." _

_Ríoghán's beard dropped down slightly. Bridget assumed that was his way of gaping. "Are you certain, my lady? Surely there is more you can still do here on this land. So many people live because of you."_

"_And all of that will go to waste if I stay here too long." __Bríde replied darkly. "These mortals have done nothing wrong. It was the erroneous choices of their forefathers and my kind that struck this land to its very core. It was indeed a miracle that the Dark One did not awaken from the last battle."_

_Ríoghán placed a hand over his chest, clutching his heart like a form of solace. "Even that name grieves me greatly. It would be much too soon if the Dark One dared to rise again."_

"_Too soon indeed." __Bríde removed her cloak to reveal her face to Bridget. _

_The redhead gasped in surprise. Bríde looked nothing like the heavenly image in the church__. Her neck and head were covered in a white bandage that was meant for medical reasons than symbolic. Some of her hair that was poking out of the sash was shocking pale that had no color in any of the locks, almost appearing that the head was bleached. Bridget was unable to see the eyes because a white bandage covered both eyes. _

"_What to her?" Bridget was completely and utterly aghast by the poor woman's appearance. She looked like someone who went through hell and back. _

"_I can no longer stay here." Bríde spoke with great authority. "__**SHE **__has been searching for me since the very beginning. One of my followers told me that they had seen a large cluster of crows near the bonfire only last night."_

"_It could've been any flock of birds." Ríoghán replied. _

"_They fear my flames, Ríoghán, and for good reason, but once __**SHE **__is aware of my presence here none of the people will be spared. I ask you as both your leader and as your friend to keep the stone safe. I had hid it away a long time ago but the entrance must be protected." _

_Bridget was having trouble to believe any of this. They couldn't possibly be talking about the-_

_Bríde and Ríoghán walked around the tower with Bridget following them. She was grateful to see that neither of the two people saw her. She was nothing more than an observer in this strange timeline. The Leprechaun and Saint stopped once they were opposite of the tower's entrance. _

"_Looks a lot different than earlier…or later than my case." Bridget mused. _

_Bríde stood near the wall with her hand pressed on the stone. Throughout most of the walk she either had Ríoghán guide her or she placed her hand on the wall to lead her. When they neared the other side Bríde_ _raised her hand foreword._

"_We must be sure no one must find the stone until Fate decides." Ríoghán nodded in agreement. He brandished out a small dagger and handed it to her. With one swipe a line of blood was drawn out from her hand._

_Bridget fought her gag reflex by swallowing hard and covering her mouth. Why must people in the past have to do such vile things to get stuff done? _

_Once her hand landed on a gray stone. The stone looked nothing out of the ordinary until a symbol soon appeared right after Bríde removed her bloodied hand from it. Her cross glowed a light blue before fading away into nothing. Bridget was in awe of the sight before her.  
_

_She could hear and feel the ground shake until the color black covered her already weakened vision._

* * *

"Bridget!" The redheaded girl slowly brought herself out of unconsciousness as Scarlett called out to her a second time.

"I'm okay," Bridget promised. She stared directly at the tower, now old and decrepit unlike the grand round tower she had seen before. "Better than I was earlier actually." She then started to talk to them about what she had just saw. It took a few minutes, with a couple interruptions, for her to explain the whole thing. She wasn't that surprised to see they had trouble taking in what she said. Though it was a bit of a surprise to see that Eamon was the first to recover.

"Yer tryin' to tell me that mah great-great-great-Grandda really helped out a human? He would never do it."

"Perhaps she was no ordinary human." Bridget shrugged her shoulders. "I did say her name was Bríde you know."

Eamon scowled, appearing to not show any belief in that. "She didn't waste her time in a church."

"Oh quit bullshitting us, Eamon." Scarlett growled. Her green eyes narrowed into two dangerously thin slits. "I had enough of your overconfidence you prat. Sure your help with the gates was much appreciated but where were you when the crows attacked? Hmm, could it be you really are in cahoots with **HER-**"

"Stop there!" Eamon shouted. The green four-leaf clovers under his feet withered away. "I would never betray mah clan for **HER**, so don't be making that accusation, Red." Scarlett growled at the obvious offense.

"**SHE **is nothing but a witch. Whatever was left of the so-called Phantom Queen is gone. The Exalted One said so herself."

"'The Exalted One?'" Bridget lifted an eyebrow out of curiosity. She had a feeling that name sounded familiar to her. Probably from all the reading she did on the Celtic 'gods'.

"That was the name of many for her." Eamon explained with slight fondness. "Even after the reign of her people she still looked after us. Danu bless her." He wiped a tear away.

Scarlett got out her aggression and asked, "So that means your clan did know her."

Eamon sighed in defeat. "Fine I'll admit it, we did know who she was and mah ancestor helped hiding something important, but I never knew it was some rock. I always thought it was something much more valuable."

"You seriously think the Stone of Destiny isn't important?" Bridget crossed her arms.

"If it's not gold, it's not worth my salt." Eamon brushed a sleeve. "Besides we don't need kings here in the Emerald Isle anymore. We can do fine without."

"Try telling that to **HER**," Scarlett flicked some unwanted bangs off her forehead while Eamon whimpered in realization.

"Well that's what we need to stop from happening." Bridget placed her hands on her hips and declared, "If we can find that stone and bring it to the Guardians, after I give them the biggest apology ever, then we'll have all the four treasures and get that magic glow stick or whatever and stop her."

"Grand exposition," Scarlett with genuine feeling. "But how can we find this rock if it's been gone for over a thousand years?"

Bridget smiled. "Before I blacked out I saw….Bríde do something on the wall of the tower." She quickly went over to the building and walked around through the same manner the Leprechaun and 'Exalted One' did in her vision. With confused looks exchanged from the dragon and current Leprechaun. "And they went over the other side and stood right….here." Bridget stopped exactly where the vision left off. The stone was white than it originally was before.

"_I really was in the past after all._" Bridget thought to herself while looking at the brick. She soon turned her attention back to the others. "Would either of you have a sharp object with you?"

Scarlett gave Bridget a look. "If you seriously think I am going to let you cut yourself then you have another thing coming."

"Well if you have a better idea to get inside, be my guest." Bridget sighed in annoyance. She rested her hand on the stonewall until some unknown force caused her to move her right above the brick. Her eyes widened after she tried to remove her hand and could not. "Uh, care to explain this one guys?"

Scarlett shook her head. "Don't look at me, I barely know anything about his bloody country."

"How should I know?" Eamon shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't there with mah granddad."

"_But I was." _Bridget thought over of what she could remember from the vision. _"This tower must be what the voices meant by 'where the sun meets the sky,' unless they meant Mt. Everest but that would be completely unrelated to the situation. Oh, there goes my mind trailing off again." _

During her thought process Bridget did not realize that the stone her hand was still pressed on started to heat up, and heating up it did. The burning sensation grew so much that Bridget accidently shot a blast of fire onto the wall. The force from the small blast caused her to fall on her back.

"Ow," Bridget grumbled.

Scarlett quickly went to the human's aid. "Are you okay?"

"Get me back in five minutes and I'll tell you."

Just when Bridget was getting up they all started to see a remarkable sight. The stone was starting to glow that familiar blue color Bridget saw earlier and the Bríde cross was etched into the rock. Bridget glanced at her hand in amazement. _"What exactly is the true source of all my power? Scarlett said I had sooty pores but what does that mean for where it all comes from?" _Bridget turned her attention back to the stone as it continued to astound the trio.

Exactly like what happened in the vision Bridget felt the earth shake around her.

"Now what's happening?" Eamon cried in fear.

"It's like my vision." Bridget said. "It's happening all over again."

"History is repeating itself." Scarlett exclaimed with her pupils dilating. The three of them instinctively cowered near one another while they yelped in alarm from the noises and sounds.

"It's the end of it all!" Eamon shouted. "The rise of the Phantom Queen will be upon us!"

They continued to scream until the ground ceased shaking rather abruptly. Scarlett was the first to open her eyes. They adjusted to the shaken land rather well thanks to her past experiences with natural events before, even if what they all had just experienced wasn't in the least bit natural. Scarlett was just thinking that she wouldn't see anything stranger until she saw a very strange sight.

"Uh, merch and short-aggressive one I think you need to see this."

Bridget pulled herself off of the dragon and looked to see where she was pointing. The redhead almost felt her jaw dropping from its hinges. She shook her head in disbelief but no matter how shaking and wishing this was all a horrible nightmare nothing changed.

Near where the ground met the stone a large gaping hole could be seen.

"Oh when will I just not make a mess of things?" Bridget groaned. "Can't I not have one day of my life where I don't burn or destroy something. You know I'm talking to you, moon."

Scarlett and Eamon went over to the hole and examined the…damage.

"Why must this happen?" Eamon whispered. "If mah great-great-great-Grandda could see me now-"

"Oi," Scarlett barked at the whimpering Fey. "Look down."

Eamon snorted some snot from his nose and looked through the hole. "Effin' and blindin'!"

"Yeah I get it," Bridget pouted. "It's a really big hole and is really bad."

"No," Scarlett shook her head. "What's inside is what you need to take a peak at."

Bridget eyed the Red Dragon of Wales curiously while she walked over to where they sat. She poked her head in and dropped her jaw even further than before. Underneath the foundations of the tower a spiraling staircase could be seen. Like its namesake stated, the stairs spiraled downward further into a dark abyss where no one seemed to know where it lead to and where it would end.

Being the daring, brave she was Scarlett asked in the tiniest voice she ever dared mustered. "So who wants to into the darkness first?"

"Don't you have firepowers or something?" Bridget arched an eyebrow, incredulous to the taller woman's behavior.

Scarlett let out a huff that emitted a puff of dark gray smoke. "Speak for yourself. I'm just not a huge fan of the dark, okay?"

Eamon chuckled. "Oh that's rich. Mah people never got scared of dark places. How else did ye think we collected gold in the first place? We jus' happin' to be the only miners that rival those dwarves from Germany." He muttered something about 'cocky bastards' under his breath while the wheels in Bridget's head began to clang together.

"You said your people were miners. Right Eamon?" Bridget glanced over at the Leprechaun.

He nodded curtly. "That's what I just said."

"Did they make this hole? Did Ríoghán make this for Bríde?" The answers nearly poured out all at once.

Eamon raised his hands up to his chest. "Hold on there. Didn't I tell you I don't know much about mah Grandda?"

"But you did admit he knew Brigid-Bríde whatever her name was." Bridget pointed out. She looked down into the hole. "She had to have hidden the stone down here I bet. That's what she was talking about with your 'grandda' in my vision."

"Underneath a tower lies the greatest unknowingly hidden treasure in Ireland." Scarlett shook her head once. "It's nice to know this rock isn't **entirely** depraved from interesting events."

"We should go in there." Bridget announced with newfound determination. If the Stone of Fáil was truly there then she wasn't going to sit around and wait for when the Morrígan could **really **show up.

"You want to go in there?" Scarlett dropped her own jaw. "Aren't you supposed to be a human? Shouldn't the darkness terrify you?"

"Speak for **your**self," Bridget countered. She adjusted her glasses with needing no reason to other than she could and glanced slightly at the cracked glass. Bridget could almost see a small hole forming near the ridge. "I've been living in darkness for most of my life now. Getting to spend sometime in it again won't hurt me."

"But what could be down there could," Scarlett gently grabbed Bridget's shoulder and gazed at her worriedly. "I don't want to see you hurt, merch. Not because Ombric wants you safe but…you're the first human to see me in at least 80 years. Hardly anyone believes in dragons anymore. I get by because of that damned flag, but what about the rest of mah kin? Either they're sleeping in the darkest corners of the globe or faded in existence ages ago. No one will be around to tell my kinds legends save for me." She breathed out a weary sigh. "Do you have any idea what kind of burden that is like?"

"Well at least all your kin is spread out." Eamon said in an almost not-so-heartless voice. "Everywhere I go I see more and more of mah people coming to me for help, askin' if there's a way to make people believe in us more. How in the Otherworld am I supposed to know that? Mah Da never told me, and most certainly mah great-great-great-Grandda couldn't tell me either. You try living your whole knowin' there is nothing you can do for them and you having to wake up ev'ry mornin' seeing their looks of shame and disappointment."

Bridget was crouched between these two magical beings and felt complete sadness wash over her. "I'm not going to pretend that I can relate to your problems but let me tell something to you. This world we all live in is a hard place to live in because a lot of people are so wrapped up in their lives that they don't think there aren't any people to care for them. I always thought like that and part of it's true but you know what I **did **find people I learned to trust and loved. You might not be able to see it but you also have that. Scarlett or Coch, I want you to remember that a whole darn country looks up to you. They don't look up to you directly but they believe in that flag you're plastered on. It might not be an accurate representation but neither is the stained glass image of St. Brigid either. So you do have people who believe in you even if it isn't direct, people still believe in the strength and power you represent."

Bridget soon turned toward Eamon with the same expression she had for Scarlett. "Eamon whether you see it or not there still are some people who believe in your kind too. Perhaps not as strong as it was in the old days but enough for you to exist and thrive. I can't promise you both that things will go back to the way it was because that's not how the world works. The world is changing. It's always changing no matter what we do or what others say. The Morrígan does not realize this and wants things to be all about despair and reality, which means that the old ways of your kind will be forgotten if people get even more wrapped up around their own problems before thinking about other things. Or we will all just die off, I don't know. I'm not physic but what I know is that if we just sit around here worrying over what has happened or what will happen then-well that's a rotten way to live and I should know that." Bridget sighed, her ranting almost completed. "The only thing I regret was that I didn't figure this out sooner. I'll have to apologize to the Guardians about that too, I guess."

The slight pressure on Bridget's shoulder tightened moments later. She turned to see crystal tears threatening to fall from Scarlett's face. Eamon was in a very similar state.

"You can all me Coch as much as you like, merch. Perhaps you're not a merch after all but a true gwallgof."

Bridget smiled. "Does that mean a grown-up."

"No, someone who is completely and totally insane." Scarlett grinned wolfishly.

Bridget's smiled faltered slightly, just slightly. "Well I already did a stupid thing today, or a dozen or so, but that must incline me to do something insane to balance it out."

"And what's crazier than jumping blindly into a dark spooky tunnel? Pardon the pun, Bridget." Eamon finished rather embarrassingly.

It was official; Bridget was seeing one of the most unbelievable sights in her life. She was seeing an Irishman and Welsh lady getting along for more than a minute. Jack would be so pleased-she mentally winced. How heartless was she being to forget about Jack? He was hurt because of her…and she needed to fix things up because if there was one thing Bridget was good at besides making messes was cleaning them up or at least the best way she could.

_"Bridget..." _

"So then we're okay with this?" Bridget asked them one last time before she lifted her leg over to the other side. Scarlett answered by putting her own leg forward. "If this really is the end, might as well go off with a bang. I'm sure the Ancient One will forgive me for it."

"And I can't just let you down there be yer own." Eamon step forward. "If mah Grandda did create some tunnels I need to see it for myself."

"Then," she snapped her fingers; a bright flame appeared as she took the first step. "Here we go."

* * *

**Q-A: **Well we got some more angst in this chapter. XP Gosh I feel like cheating since I promised a chapter that told Bridget's WHOLE story, but I can't write more unless you beautiful people want my fingers to fall off. And for those who are wondering, no I never intended for Ombric to go directly to Ireland. If he went he would be in a worse state than normal without his magic to keep him from weakening too much. That's why he went for Scarlett. XD And I get the excuse to write her and Eamon back into the story. I just hate those fanfics that have a onetime chapter character that you never get to see again. Scarlett or Coch is fun to write and has some pretty deep back-story. I will admit most of it is based on the book series _How to Train Your Dragon _(so much more fun than I thought it would be :D).

And adding some stuff for Eamon wasn't that hard. He's the kind of guy who's aware of the responsibility he has but didn't want to be saddled with it and is frustrated with how the world is ignoring his magical community like they are. It's one of the reasons he somewhat resents the Guardians like Jack did. It's these complex characters that I just love to dive into. Hopefully in possible future sequels to this story I'll get that chance again.

Oh and of course, THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR OVER 150 REVIEWS! I didn't think it would go that far. Maybe an even higher number in the end? :) A girl can dream can't she?

Ríoghán –Little King.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	32. Who I was

**Q-A: **Okay this is where things get explained a bit more I believe. :D Here is the continuing quest for Bridget, Coch/Scarlett, and an angry midg-erm-Eamon. All I can say is the past will be revealed, people. The past will. Be. Revealed!

**Disclaimer: **The story and original characters are all mine. The Greater God of Moonbots and DreamWorks owns everything else.

* * *

_~Who I was~_

Traveling underground was no better than aboveground from what Bridget had decided over the course of the…'spelunking' (if it could even be called that). The spiral staircase went further down than Bridget had anticipated. When the stairs ended the room she and Scarlett and Eamon were in was so dark that it almost made her mistake it for her blindness again.

"Well this isn't getting me aggravated in the least," Scarlett had spoken sarcastically at the time. She was not a fan of the dark. Bridget replied to that comment by igniting a small flame on the palm of her hand. Shadows danced playfully around the fire as the trio walked downward into the abyss.

The only sounds that were heard came from the footfalls of the group's feet and the occasional drip from fallen water droplets.

Scarlett became aggravated when her forehead banged against the ceiling for the fifth time. "Why is this damn tunnel so small? I hunch over and mah head still gets injured, what's with that?"

"Not mah problem if yer so freakishly tall," Eamon snickered.

"S'not my fault yer so freakishly annoying."

"What happen to you two not arguing earlier?" Bridget asked, interrupting the Legendaries. "I thought there was this unspoken agreement that we all had an agreement."

"How does that work?" Eamon scratched his chin.

Scarlett shrugged. "Must be human thing."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "It's called being consistent, something that you two clearly don't have the patience for."

"Or we just don't feel like doing it." Eamon said.

Bridget sighed.

"How much further are we going through this tunnel until we call it a day?" Scarlett asked a while later.

"Until we find where those voices I heard came from or the stone take your pick." Bridget replied without a beat.

"I worry for your health." Eamon spoke seriously. "Really I do."

"I'm not going crazy," Bridget said defiantly. "What I was seeing and hearing must mean something. You know what I'm talking about do ya, Coch?"

Scarlett held her hands up. "Don't bring me into this. I did indeed entail that these…visions of yours mean a significance but I'm not sure what they are as you do."

"Don't you have the slightest idea what they could mean?"

Scarlett shrugged, her shoulders brushing against the rocky walls. "What I've already told you is the only information I know about the inner eye and what not. If the voices and visions are trying to tell you something I would suggest continuing following them."

"If we had time for that you mean?" Eamon added. "We can' be worrying over somethin' as minuscule as blurry dreams."

"They aren't dreams." Bridget kept her eyes forward. "I've had my share of dreams and they aren't anything like what I've been seeing since I arrived in Ireland. I think this Bríde-Brigid woman is trying to tell me something."

Scarlett and Eamon exchanged looks of concern. "Well don't get yer head too wrapped around it." Scarlett warned. "The shadows of the past are meant to stay in the past for a reason."

"Which is something that the Morrígan doesn't understand." Bridget said. "That's why she needs to be stopped and the only way for that to happen is to use all of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann."

"You honestly think trusting the powers and gifts from Danu's children will be much of a help?" Scarlett was glared at Eamon. "Most of them were not all that grand, Shorty, admit it."

Before Eamon could retort a large whistling noise was heard. Both the dragon and Leprechaun turned to see Bridget removing two fingers from her mouth. She gave them a blank look while the fire in her other hand burned brightly. "We're here to find the Stone of Destiny. The voices in my head are probably leading us to it, and yes what I had just said sounded like an insane moment to question but I am not losing my mind. Now let's get going through this dark spooky tunnel that may or may not lead us to the stone and we might all die here." With that said Bridget trudged forward and did not turn back.

"She scares me sometimes." Eamon whispered to Scarlett.

The dragon replied. "Makes you glad she's on our side."

* * *

The remainder of the march continued with no further interruptions from the two magical beings. For the most part things were relatively quiet with sounds only from the feet and water droplets coming from above.

"Do ye think we're underneath the town?" Scarlett asked while raising a brow toward the ceiling that prevented her head from moving.

"Probably." Eamon answered. "I'm use to tunnels that lead to burial chambers or the leftover passageways Edmund forgot about. This whole labyrinth here is new to me."

"What labyrinth?"

"That one," Bridget answered the confused dragon while pointing forward. In front of the human were three identical holes that led to three different directions.

Scarlett turned toward the Leprechaun. He took a step back. "I said I never been here before, I just know mah land well enough to know where it leads from time to time."

"Well you could've given us all a warning beforehand don't you think?" Scarlett motioned toward the area in front of them.

"Wait!" Bridget raised a hand out to silence them both again. Her eyes craned toward each hole and brushed some strands of hair behind her ear. "I think I hear-"

The sound of earth cracking and shaking took its ugly head at that very moment, surprising the trio.

"Let's get the damned hell out of here!" Scarlett cried and pointed toward their original way out. Luck was not on their side when that very moment the ceiling began to collapse between Bridget and the other two. She dodged the rocks in the nick of time and landed near right at the three tunnels.

Bridget coughed loudly while the dust around her began to clear. A few small rocks fell on her head causing her to wince in pain. She reached her head to rub at the growing bruises leading her fingers to brush against her face. She could no longer fell the familiar thin metal and glass bifocals on her.

"No," Bridget gasped. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" She quickly kneeled to the ground searching for the glasses until another rock fell in front of her and a large crack could be heard. "No." Bridget hesitantly placed her hand over what she hoped was the recently fallen rock. Once she removed it Bridget unquestionably heard the sound of shattered glass. "It can't," her voice was choking. "It just can't."

"-ridget!" The recognizable voice of Scarlett could be heard through the rocky barrier.

Bridget wiped some newly formed tears from her eyes and called out, "Coch, Eamon, I'm here!"

"Bridget! Thank goodness you're still alive. You're still alive right, and I'm not just talking to a ghost?"

If her mind and heart weren't so full of emotions Bridget would've rolled her eyes. "I'm okay. At least I think I am."

"Listen, Eamon and I are all right. We just have a few bumps and bruises here and there but nothing we've faced before," Scarlett attempted to sound casual in this dire situation. "The point is we're going to try and find our way out back from where we came from. We want you to stay put."

Bridget heard a few more cracks overhead. "I don't think that would be the smart thing to do, Coch. The room I'm in right now feels really unstable."

"Then what do you suggest doin'?" Eamon's gruff demeanor was seeping through the rubble.

"I'll try to find my way out through one of these tunnels." Bridget decided to leave out the part of her being blinder than a bat out of fear from hearing the other two protesting. "There could be an exit through one of them and I'll wait until you can find me."

A few moments passed as Bridget waited to hear the two to respond. She waited on bated breath until Scarlett spoke reluctantly, "Fine but only because we really don't have any other options. Figure out which tunnel can get you out and once Eamon and me find ourselves back outside we'll look for you."

"Okay, I think I'll still be in Ireland from where I find the surface."

"Cheeky girl," Scarlett tut'ed at her. "Just be careful. You might not a merch in mah book anymore but you still are to some other people out there."

Bridget did not wish to dwell on that thought yet. "Okay then. I'll see you guys in while, probably."

"And we'll see you too, maybe." Eamon replied as his voice began to grow softer with each step he and Scarlett took further away from the barrier.

Once she could no longer hear the faint sound of footsteps Bridget did not hesitate to let the tears fall down. It finally happened after who knew how many hours. Her well-loved glasses forged tirelessly for her to see were now destroyed. The once beautiful egg-oval shaped lenses no longer held the magic green glass that despite their coloring allowed Bridget to see every natural color with her eyes. The lovely intricate patterns of flowers etched on the temple were barely visible. The lenses were dented into very unflattering shapes that could hardly qualify for shapes anyway. All of this and so much more were things Bridget could not see anymore.

She breathed deeply in order to cease the hot tears from raining on her cheeks. Suddenly something cool was on her skin. Something that was wet and slimy.

"Sal," Bridget breathed. "You're okay. I was afraid that I squashed you by accident." She hugged the little amphibian close to her heart and sighed. "How am I supposed to get out of here? I can't see anything, I don't have my cane, and I don't know where to go. I was just putting up a front toward Coch and Eamon. There's really nothing that I have left."

"_Bridget…" _She turned her toward the direction of where the voice was. If she could see again, she would've learned the voice was coming from the middle tunnel. She stared blankly toward what she was hoping was the tunnel while Sal squirmed slightly in her hands. She let the salamander go and he quickly climbed onto her shoulder, nestling near the crook of her neck.

"_Bridget." _

"Should I really follow it?" Bridget asked aloud. "Is it really going to lead me to the stone or is it just a trap laid out by the Morrígan?"

"_Bridget!" _The voice grew louder but did not sound like it was coming closer. The tone only grew because Bridget had not responded to it yet.

"I guess there's not much of a choice for me anyway." Bridget sighed in firm manner. She knew that staying where was wouldn't be a smart idea with the rocks above her threatening to fall at any minute. Leaving the almost enclosed room was the better option than anything else at the moment. "Time to face destiny, Sal. Even if he or she doesn't want to see me, well they'll be glad to know I can no longer see anyone or anything."

With one hand gripping to the sides of the wall like a lifeline and the other pushing herself up Bridget made her painfully slow trek through the tunnel, not once realizing the ceiling was no longer crumbling in the previous room she had left.

* * *

Stumbling over rocks and tiny pothole-like cracks was difficult for anyone in the dark. Now add blindness to that equation and you'll fit Bridget's situation rather well. She was not having the time of her life while walking awkwardly through the tunnel and cursing every time she stubbed her toe or hit her head by an unsuspected stalactite.

"How does any of this make the lick of sense?" Bridget muttered in deep irritation. "There aren't caves in Kildare and yet this one obviously feels like it's been around for centuries, or even more knowing how magic works. Well I don't know how it works exactly but it can't be rocket science…though didn't Ombric tell me there was a tower in the Himalayas that could turn into a rocket-ARGH! I am thinking into this way too much than I should." She took a deep breath in order to calm herself down. Bridget reminded herself that she needed to not freak out (again) and to keep moving in order to find the way out, or the less likely opportunity of finding the stone. She was starting to question whether or not her theory for the Stone of Destiny was completely true or not. It was then Bridget had to remind herself to not question that theory. What needed to be focused on was for her to find a way out and fast.

"I just need to concentrate on the main goal and find my way-"

"_Bridget…"_

"Oh great." Bridget was starting to get **really **annoyed with the ominous and echo-y voice. All it ever did was call out her name every five minutes like an alarm clock or that neighbor's dog that never shuts up long enough for you to…. getting off topic here. Anyways Bridget was not very entranced with the voice as much as she was use to.

"It's like it wants me to keep moving despite the fact I have no where else to go." Bridget spoke aloud, wondering if that observation is true or not.

Her walking continued for some time until her hands landed on a flat surface in front of her.

"Great a dead end." Bridget groaned in frustration. She now had to figure out if the other tunnels could lead to her escape or if they would be dead ends as well.

"_Bridget." _Surprisingly the voice was coming through the wall. Bridget pressed her left ear onto the surface and clearly heard the voice calling out to her again. With no other ideas she began to place her hand on the wall and knock at it. Much to her amazement the surface sounded hollow almost like it fairly thin, but not thin enough to punch or kick it to the ground. She then remembered the obvious and summoned flames on both of her hands. She pressed the hands over the thin sheet of stone and was pleased to hear some cracking not too long after. _"Now we're talking." _Bridget thought triumphantly.

CRACK!

The wall came undone while Bridget took a few smart steps backwards to avoid getting a concussion.

"Smashing." Bridget smiled as placed Sal in her pocket. The last thing she wanted to do was to lose him in another room she wasn't familiar with. Unlike the other tunnels Bridget had came across this was a huge change. It wasn't even considered a tunnel but more of a circular room. She could hear the sound of water splashing and figure there had to a well or underground river inside. She quickly decided to keep her hands and legs to herself.

If she had the ability to see Bridget would have been graced with the beauty that surrounded her. All around the circular room glowing crystals shimmered softly, casting gentle shadows. The ground was carpeted with a soft moss that wasn't slippery in the slightest. The air smelled of cooked foods with a smoky scent along each food. Bridget smelled baked bread, roasted meats, herbs, and apples. She could almost feel her mouth watering.

"Okay this is weird." Bridget crossed her hands over her chest in thought.

"Well nothing really is normal now is it?" Her gray eyes snapped wide open at the voice.

"Olivia?" Bridget arched an incredulous eyebrow. It couldn't really be-

"That's the name you called me, yes." Oh~ yes, it was she. Bridget could hear that sarcastic tone anywhere.

"Oh sure you care about her but you don't think of me do you?" Another voice spoke up which reminded Bridget of the voice that echoed through the walls not too long ago.

"It's you." Bridget spoke in astonishment.

"Finally, I was afraid you would never show up." The voice was accented with an Irish drawl in a more formal manner than Olivia's, though much haughtier than hers, Bridget thought.

"I'm a lot more confused than ever now." Bridget spoke out truthfully. "This makes no sense whatsoever. How are you here Olivia and why is this other girl here with you who is starting to sound a lot like that Blondie from Santoff Claussen that wanted to hit on Jack-though you probably don't know who that is right now." Bridget trailed off while trying to think of something more to say.

"It's sad how quick she's able to pick up on things and yet is the most dense person I've ever had the 'pleasure' of meeting."

Bridget frowned. "That sounded like an insult."

"Well if the torc fits."

Bridget placed her left hand over her right wrist. "Anyway is there still a reason I don't know why you two are here because I really have no clue."

"Why don't we just be fair on her, the poor girl?" Olivia suggested toward the Haughty one.

"Fine." The Haughty one decided after a moment's thought. "It took her this long to find this place, might as well."

"**What** is this place?" Bridget inquired with her hands spread out.

"This is where it ended and where it begins," Olivia answered cryptically. "The tunnels you went through were just the first part of the test."

"What test?" Bridget didn't recall signing up for a pop quiz or anything like that. Though she did recall there was going to be a math quiz the week after she got back from Thanksgiving break and-she mentally shook her head. She needed to focus NOW!

"A test that you've been set out to do since the day you were awakened." Olivia answered simply.

"The very night you're new life was settled by Fate ten years ago." The Haughty one added in an equally knowing tone.

Bridget no longer felt hungry as her stomach dropped down a few levels. "Okay, you two clearly know more than you should. Holy crap does this mean I've been stalked for most of my life? Or is this all some clever and elaborate prank hosted by Ash-"

SLAP!

While rubbing away the searing pain on her left cheek Bridget asked, "Did one of you just slapped me?"

"Yes," the Haughty one answered in a very annoyed tone. "I can't remember you being this scatterbrained. How you've survived all these years is still a mystery to me."

"Can somebody please tell me what's going on here?" Bridget asked as her own patience was starting to grow thin. "And maybe give me some straight answers too, because as fun as riddles are I never had the patience to do them."

"Well at least she still has that trait." Olivia said toward what Bridget could assume was the Haughty one. "Not too much of her old self was gone then."

"Anytime to tell me what's going on would be great now."

"Fine, fine but are you sure you want to know?"

"If it has something to do with the stone yes that would be great."

"Oh, so you'd rather know about that than who you really are?"

Bridget opened her mouth but closed it. She tried again but could not find the words. "_What did she mean by that? About who I really am, what's that supposed to mean?" _

"Everything," the Haughty one replied immediately. Bridget dropped her jaw. "Yes I can read your thoughts but only because you've been able to do the same with me. Who else was calling to you since several hours ago?"

Bridget bit her lower lip. This was just getting too weird. "What do you know about me?"

"That is a good question." Olivia answered. "Let me answer it with my own question, 'How much do you know about yourself?'"

Bridget swallowed slightly, not at all pleased of where the conversation was going. "It depends on who's asking."

"So that means you're still worried about telling others about your gifts then?"

"You know about that?"

"Of course I do. Even long before Liam was raving like a lunatic about your firepowers I knew, I knew long before you did."

Bridget gulped nervously. "Okay fine, you know about my firepowers, so what do you want? Blackmail? Have me rob a bank? Assassinate some rich dirt bag?

The Haughty one stood almost directly at Bridget. "Well actually, now that you mention it-"

"Don't Bríde," Olivia interrupted. "We can't have all our wishes come true."

Bridget titled her head. "Bríde?" A part of her wanted to drop dead. This snob couldn't possibly be the same older sounding woman from her vision.

"That's what I am most associated with." The Haughty one or Bríde answered without a beat.

"But-but-but," Bridget gaped. "You sound nothing like-"

"The woman from your memories?" Bríde giggled with the sound of chiming bells. "Well I certainly hope not, she was certainly a drag."

"Don't be such a hypocrite. She was you too, you know." Olivia called out.

"And you weren't any better looking, Bríg."

"I'm sorry what did you just call her?" Bridget raised an accusing finger hopefully at the two woman before her.

"Oh look now she's pointing at the well over there."

"That's because she can't see us."

"Oh right, because of the incident with-"

"Shh, not yet. We can't spoil it for her."_  
_

"This is if she makes the right choice you mean."

"Of course she'll make the right choice, I know her."

"Of course you **know her** she's pretty much you and me."

"What are you two talking about?!" Bridget sighed. "First you tell me this place-whatever it is-has to do with me. Second, you two act like you've known me all your lives and seeing how you know about my powers is a little crazy. And third what the hell, Olivia, why did you lie about your name? Bríg is actually your name? If you thought I was going to laugh or something or think you were even weirder with those magic eye contacts of yours-"

"Do you want me to slap you again?" Bríde snapped at the redhead.

Bridget quickly shook her head. "No, but I still want answers, something which you barely gave me since I got here."

"Fine, but hold still." Bridget felt a hand clutching her right shoulder. "It'll better for you to see the front of your hands and everything else if we're going to get anything done."

"You claimed that your fire is much stronger here than it was back at before arriving to Ireland. Didn't you tell the Dragon of Wales about that?" Bríg asked.

"How do you know about that?"

"We're the two missing parts of you Bridget, that's what we've been trying to tell you." Bríde stepped over to where Bríg was and added, "We've been waiting for you to return to Kildare since you left it all those years ago before the Morrígan could strike you a second time."

"Funny I don't remember any of this." Bridget smiled mockingly. "Not as much as knowing who my old family is but that's just how **lucky **my life is."

"Actually you knew your kin very well-" Bríde shoved Bríg's shoulder and gave her a look. "My mistake, we're aren't supposed to give you a full history of your past. I forgot about that."

"What do you mean?" Bridget asked with genuine interest.

"We are more than just the missing halves of your old self Bridget."

"Yes and when Bríg means that she is really just that and nothing else. I on the other hand am quite." Bríg made some very good movement into pushing Bríde away and continuing, "We hold the missing parts of who you are."

"So you are exactly what you said you were," Bridget pointed out.

Bríg sighed. "Yes but we've been guiding you since this whole quest started. It was only when the moon involved you in was when we were allowed to leave our homeland and come to you."

"You were stuck in Ireland?"

"Yes but let's focus on myself and Bríde please. She and I were left here with each of us holding a part of your old self. They were your old memories."

"My memories?" Bridget asked. "From when I was younger you mean? Before everything was lost? Before I woke up ten years ago?"

Bríg nodded seriously. "I'm nodding by the way in case you couldn't tell or not."

"All this time, the answers were…" Bridget trailed off. "So you mean the reason I have my powers and everything else you have said?"

Bríg opened the left palm of her hand. A soft ball of light glowed over her hand. "I am holding an orb in my hand I am the keeper of one part of the missing three. For all the secrets of your powers lie in here. Why you can summon fire and why you enjoy well water so much."

Bríde stood next to Bríg with her right palm open and had an orb of light of her own. "I hold an orb with the memories that do not involve your powers but tell of your life before awakening in that snowy forest on the first day or winter. Everything and everyone who you knew and loved are found here."

Bridget turned her head toward Bríg and Bríde; she was having trouble figuring this all out. "So if I touch these orbs I'll know why I'm here and who my family is?"

"Well~" Bríg drew out the word with great hesitation. "That's where a choice needs to be made. You see you can only pick the memories that hold your powers or the ones involving your old life."

"What?"

"Come now Bridget, do you really think because you've learned to accept yourself that it's the only trial you'll be facing? That was only the mind you concurred, now it's the soul that is next." Bríg held her orb out a little more toward Bridget's face. "If you take this orb that I carry you'll learn about every ability you have and the ones you've forgotten. It'll be exactly the help your friends will need against the Morrígan. Even stronger than the treasures."

"So I'll have more power than I did before?" Bridget was ready to touch the orb based on instinct until Bríde cut in.

"But you won't know how to use any of them because my orb holds the memories of your past which was when you used all of them. If you take my orb you'll know how to use each individual power."

"But she won't be able to defend herself." Bríg glared at the blonde. She turned her attention back toward Bridget. "You need this orb for the powers alone."

"But she won't be able to understand them if she doesn't have her memories."

"Well her memories won't be much help if she can't get an access to her powers. Just because she'll know about the gifts she possessed it won't be like actually having them."

"So it's better to have magic over the past memories she once held."

"She wouldn't want to know about you being in her past that's for sure."

Their quarreling continued while Bridget stood. She was starting to miss Eamon and Coch now. But at least the ensuing argument was allowing her to think over the offers. For a few minutes Bridget remained silent while the other two bickered like two rivaling siblings.

She sighed quietly before doing what she could do best. Bridget whistled louder than ever before.

Bríde hissed in pain while covering her ears. "Was that really necessary?"

"It is for what I'm about to say," Bridget said. "I've made my decision."

"You have?" Bríde and Bríg eyed the girl with interest.

"I've decided that…." Bridget took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't want either."

Bríg raised an eyebrow. "You choose neither."

Bridget nodded. "Yep."

Bríde gaped at the girl and shook her head. "You cannot be serious. You are truly willing to give up the chance of knowing who you are."

"I already know that. I know the sort of person I am, thank you very much." Bridget smiled. "My name's Bridget. I currently have no address though I did enjoy spending time with the Bennetts in Burgess, Pennsylvania. I believe in magic despite how incredulous it can be at times, which is a lot. My best friends wer-are the Guardians of Childhood and I have a….thing," Bridget spoke questioningly, "with Jack Frost despite the obvious age difference, and I have freaky firepowers but that doesn't bother me that much anymore."

"If you can't tell I'm shaking my head at you." Bríg said a moment later. "You are willing to not have the chance to defeat the Morrígan? The same woman that has done horrible things to children everywhere and you included?"

Bridget sighed deeply in order to keep her cool. "I just want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am no one's chosen one. I am my own person who makes her own decisions. The moon did choose me to help the Guardians and I'm going to do just that. The Man in the Moon did not ask for me to fight the Morrígan but for the Guardians to do it. Sure I'll help them the best that I can but it's a team effort that we'll do together. I could use extra powers to fight but I can't accept something that hasn't been a part of me. The same thing to go for the memories, I would like to know who my family was but I'm not focused in finding that out now. Sure it was one my mind but I came for one thing and that was to find the stone.

"I'm sorry if my choice doesn't make much sense to you and is completely unorthodox but you know what I'm exactly like that. I know I sound stupid into not wanting more power but isn't that exactly what the Morrígan and Pitch Black wanted? For them to have more power and hurt anyone that stands in their way? I'm not going to change myself for anyone, I'm glad that I'm me and no one will change that. It took me ten years to accept this part of me and if you two think it's not good enough for ya or that the Guardians aren't good enough well you don't know them like I do. So get into your little thick minds that I'm going to be whom I am. I may not know where I come from and who I was from that place but I've learned that I can be anything I want to be thanks to what the Guardians told me. I will not give up on them even if they don't trust me anymore I will fight for them with all the strength **I **have within me."

The deep sound of silence was so great that water from the room was the only sound to disrupt it. Bridget felt a great swell of pride in her from that speech she just made. A small part of her ego wished the Guardians would've been there to hear it but she decided that wasn't important. What mattered to her was that she stood up for her beliefs and stood up to those who were against it.

"He was right all along, she is ready." Bríg spoke.

Bridget squinted her eyes in confusion. "Wait was that all just some trick?"

"More of a test than anything else really." Bríde said with a smile. "I'm smiling in case you didn't notice."

"So those two options…"

"Were still open for you but there was the alternative. What you just said was that alternative." Bríg added. "When the Man in the Moon told us what happened to you and that you would be to make a choice we agreed on that it needed to be something that would challenge the humanity that you had gained from your short time as a human."

Bridget frowned nervously. "Should I be worried about that last part?"

"It'll make sense once you get your memories back."

Bridget blinked a few times while trying to absorb this new information. She was actually going to get her memories back. It was going to happen but… "How is that gonna work? Do you have my baby teeth?"

"Ha," Bríde laughed. "You wished you still had them. No, we'll just do it the old fashion way."

"And that's-" Bridget had no time to finish when two pairs of hands grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her. She fell head first into the water and cried in alarm.

"Aah! Why did you do that? Help me out!" Bridget choked when cold water fell down her throat. The water sloshed all over as she tried to pull herself out. The walls of the natural well she was in were too slippery and the two other girls did nothing.

"We are helping you," they said in unison. "You must now help yourself."

"That's not helping with the sides," a great pull forced Bridget downwards.

"Don't fight the current, Bridget, let all of it flow." Bríg's voice faded as Bridget was pushed down and down into the stream.

* * *

To imagine the feeling Bridget was going through remember the time you slide down a water slide at a water park but you could not see anything and you had water all over you. With her small build Bridget had trouble holding her breath. Her lungs felt like they were being crushed by a cinderblock and all there air was being squashed out. The water moved so fast she didn't know where she was going and where it would end. Just when it felt like to her that she wouldn't breath again Bridget was shot out of the water and fell onto the hard ground.

Bridget thank every deity on the face of the earth, including the moon, and took several handful gasps of much needed air. She violently coughed up all the water that was unfortunately inside her lungs and rested on her side. Even with her clothes being soaked Bridget did not feel the least cold with her body pressed to the hard ground. It was slightly bumpy and hard to the touch that Bridget correctly guessed that she was still underground inside the cave.

"I'm never going to talk to strange people again." Bridget promised to herself. She felt something cold prod over her head and tapped at the moving object. She sighed in relief when she realized it was Sal when she saw him landing on her lap. "Glad to see you're okay." She started to joke about how Sal had a better life expectancy than a cockroach when she realized something.

She saw Sal landing on her lap.

Bridget quickly moved her hands to her face and could see them in their wrinkly wet glory. "I can see. I can see!" She gasped and nearly squealed in joy before she heard and unconstrained plop behind her. She turned to see that her torc bracelet and snowflake charm were floating over the watery hold Bridget had just came out of. Bridget looked at her right wrist and realized that the torc was indeed no longer there. She smiled sheepishly and quickly got up to grab it.

"It's so weird I can just see again, Sal." Bridget spoke to her salamander. She took her bracelet out of the water and placed it over her wrist with ease. "Maybe those two girls did something to me before I fell or something. All I know is that something is up."

Bridget soon began to grow quiet when she heard a noise. She wasn't sure what the noise was but it was coming from the opposite side of the cave. She then realized that there was a way out for her.

"Finally," she sighed in relief. "I can get out of here." Bridget put her best foot forward and walked toward the light. "Man I hope this isn't THE light I'm going towards and have turned out to have died…that would really suck."

As she walked Bridget began to notice how things surrounding her appeared. While she was certainly underground observed the walls and how they became less bare after each yard she passed. On the walls she noticed carved imprints similar to the ones she once saw when she and the Guardians passed by a ruined temple with tall rocks called a menhir or standing stones. They would be carved with lines that either swirled into different shapes or spiraled around the stone. Bunny had told her humans had put those up believing they had spiritual meaning toward their gods. It made Bridget wonder if they were meant for the Tuatha Dé Danann? It also made her wonder if the Morrígan had menhir of her own and if that St. Brigid had them too? Her thoughts went away when Bridget realized that she wasn't alone in the tunnel.

A large shadow appeared from the direction Bridget was walking towards and was getting closer with each passing second. Her heartbeat quickened and she was ready to panic but Bridget mentally reminded herself that screaming wasn't going to help her in this situation. She turned her head back and forth, hoping to find a place to hide and quickly spotted a round shield hanging nearby. She quickly went over to it and attempted to push it up to hide behind it. Much to her frustration Bridget had a heck of a time trying to pull the heavy metal up with her noodle arms. It was moments like those where regretted not doing enough push-ups in Phys-Ed. As the steps grew closer Bridget somehow found the strength to pull it off most likely due to the adrenaline that was sparked by her mounting fear of getting caught. With the newfound strength she possessed Bridget squeezed inside the shield only for her to realize seconds later that the round disk barely did anything to keep her lower abdomen and legs hidden.

"Well I guess this **really **is it then."

Even with all the worst luck in the world Bridget must have been kind to someone in a past life for all the times Fate stepped in and saw to it that she would live another day. The steps neither quickened or faltered as Bridget heard the large mass move past her and continued walking. Being the curious person she was Bridget opened one eye and looked through the crack between the shield and wall. She gasped in surprise when she saw that the person was a tall man with reddish hair pulled into a tight ponytail and wore fur-lined clothing that Bridget could only describe to have belonged to a Celt. From the back Bridget could tell he wore a sort of chainmail armor from seeing a few metal links slinking underneath the furs and he wore boots that reminded Bridget of the ones the men yelling at her in the vision. Her heartbeat skipped a few times until she reminded herself that she was getting worked up over nothing. Whoever that person was he didn't see her that was all that mattered. She stepped completely out of the shield and continued to stare at the retreating figure. She was a little confused as to why he was heading that way since it was a dead end for her but decided not to question it as she got out of the shield.

"How many more weird things will I be seeing today?" Bridget leaned her weight toward the shield and accidently clanged it against her torc. She immediately tended to fix the problem by covering the metal with her hands to soften the noise when she realized something on her face, or what wasn't on her face. On the reflective metal Bridget looked at her face with astonishment. The two jagged lines that were underneath her eyes had vanished. The scars were gone completely, not even a trace of damaged tissue was anywhere in sight. She placed a hand under her right eye and instinctively winced until remembering that the scar was no longer there.

Bridget breathed in deeply and blinked. "It's official, nothing makes sense anymore."

The sound of another noise took Bridget's attention forward. She had the strangest feeling that no one was able to see her after she came across another person with this one being a woman in woolen clothing that Bridget assumed belonged for a servant from the times of Celts. Her hair was hidden in a sort of cloth wrapped around her head and darkened apron over her white dress that was not in anyway the formal kind Bridget had read about.

"Could this be some sort of magic going on around here?" Bridget observed her surroundings a bit more and pondered at every weapon, pelt, and other unnamable object on the wall. "Those two girls must've sent me here or something but what does the moon have to do with it? How does any of this have to do with my past? I wasn't born this long ago….was I?"

"Oh come 'er my little fire sprite, ha-ha before you get gobbled up by the wolves." Bridget turned toward the kind and endearing voice that swelled up unknown feelings inside her. Unlike the time when her name was being called out by Bríde and Bríg, the words 'fire sprite' brought out more feeling and longing for Bridget than her own name being called out.

"And why is that…?"

"Where is my little girl? Did she disappear into nothing? Is she now a specter?"

Small giggling could be heard from inside a room that was conjoined to the hallway. Bridget tentatively walked nearby and inched toward the sounds. She stood near the carved doorway and leaned her head in. Inside was a large room that was nearly covered with many furs lined on the ground. The walls had tapestries hanging on the walls, each one retelling the tale of a great battle. In the center of the room a soft fire burned in a metal pit.

"Now where's my little girl? What has happened to my little fire sprite?" Bridget looked to see near the other side of the room the largest man she had ever seen. He wasn't fat in any meaning of the word just very wide and vast. From the way he was dressed Bridget made the assumption that he must be someone of great importance. His clothing was similar in style to the other man Bridget had encountered only this man's were much cleaner and no chainmail. His woolen shirt was deep green with yellow died plaid pattern. On his head is a silver helmet that had gold weaved near the edge like circlet while four round emeralds were attached to the sides like four corners. Around his neck was a torc much larger and thicker in size than Bridget's.

Around his waist was a leather belt with a silver buckle holding it in place. The buckle had circle in the middle with a small dot within and two lines coming out from its sides. His pants were brown with white strings wrapped around the leggings. The last part she analyzed was the boots. Bridget felt a great uneasiness wrap around her when she remembered they were exactly like the boots belonging to the man from her vision, she even started to recognize his booming voice. It took some time to compare the two since the one she was hearing at the moment with the first she heard being a louder and fierce while the current one was much gentler sounding.

_"I feel sorry for the kid that probably was raised by this guy." _Bridget thought worryingly and silently cheering for not being visible to him either like the rest of the people she passed by.

The man's head protrude a long wiry beard that curled and weaved into red color that was a few shades darker than Bridget's hair. His eyes shimmered a color that was a dull gray that unlike Bridget's eyes showed no signs of blindness. He could look at an object and truly see it as he was doing exactly that at the moment while looking for what Bridget assumed was his child.

What Bridget saw next was added to her still-growing list of strange sights she had ever witnessed. Inside the fire pit Bridget noticed that there was a small mass shifting around the fire. Bridget squinted her eyes and began to see what the mysterious shape was.

The man walked near the pit and chuckled slightly after he noticed the shape too. "Well I hope she hasn't wandered off. Otherwise that cake I brought for her will just have to go to waste then." He was making a beeline for the cake when...

"No!" A small but willful voice cried out from the fire. The small mass Bridget saw moving quickly grew and jumped out of the fire revealing a little girl. She giggled happily as if she had just jumped out of a pool not once showing any signs of hurting from the fire. She even picked a few burnt pieces of wood off of her and brushed remaining soot from her clothes (which was a green tunic-like dress with gold trimming if you wanted to know). Her hair appeared to be covered with soot until the girl shook her head and it lightened into a bright gold until it darkened into a deep red.

Bridget's eyebrows vanished behind her hair while a few strands of it fell near her cheekbones and she noticed her color matched the little girl's exceptionally well.

What she saw and heard next was even stranger than a girl jumping out of a fire. She landed right near the man and quickly straightened herself up to him with eager eyes that Bridget was ready to note that they were the same gray color identical to the man's and her own.

"I see your other halves are trying to free themselves from your bonds again. We will need to take more time to fasten those bindings in order to keep your control over your self at better condition.

"Why his that a problem, Father? I quite like them and they are like sisters, Bríde and Bríg are."

Bridget felt like she wanted to sit down.

The man chuckled and told her not to fret over such mundane things like that. She was she and nothing else could change that.

The little girl leaned her weight on the balls of her feet and bend over back and forth while her hands were behind her back. "Where's the cake, Father?"

The man chuckled again. He picked up the girl and spun her around. "Is that the proper thing to say to your own flesh and blood?" He smiled jokingly while the girl giggled. "After all the years I toiled over you, made sure you had everything you need, served over you on hand and foot, and this is what you say to me first?" He threw her up in the air and caught her seconds later. "Very well my spoiled darlin' I have the cake over here."

He carried the little girl in his hairy arms and led her toward a table beside a wall where candles flickered and a warm baked good that reminded Bridget more of a pie than a cake stood waiting.

"I can share it with you if you'd like that, Father." The girl said earnestly. Clearly she was still too young to understand sarcasm.

The man chuckled. "No, no. It's your birthday my little fire sprite. It's not everyday you turn six, Brigit."

Gray eyes that stood watching the exchange widened considerably larger than ever before. "Did he just say…"

Bridget did not have time to speak when the colors and shapes around her began to shift and move around her. The scene before her began to form into something else as a great blinding light appeared and Bridget covered her eyes from the sheer illumination. When the noises from the scene shift went away Bridget opened her eyes slightly before closing them again. She was no longer underground apparently as she was now outside in an open field. All around her Bridget saw tall green grass that blew in the wind like the churning sea. Menhir stones could be seen while a large red and blue target was standing right next to Bridget. She yelped and carefully dodged an arrow that zoomed right passed her and hitting the target straight and true.

Bridget breathed a sigh of relief while she heard her would be assassin being praised.

"Quite the shot, my lady. You have progressed greatly since your started the course." Bridget looked up from her hiding place in the tall grass and gaped in surprise. The person who had shot the arrow was no other than the same girl she had seen not more than a few minutes ago, only she had aged considerably. She looked like she was eleven or twelve from what Bridget could wildly guess.

The girl's hair was pulled into a braid while she wore warm brown colors that appeared to be made from leather. On her back was a quiver full of white black-spotted feathered arrows and carried a bow half the size of her body height. She held a determined look on her face while lowering her hand from the string. "I missed it by a few more, otherwise it would've meet its target."

Bridget looked at the large target and raised an eyebrow and looked how the arrow was barely a centimeter from the center. "I couldn't make that in a hundred years and she's complaining about not reaching the target good enough?"

The woman who had praised Brigit earlier walked over to her and said, "Despite that you have done considerably well. I can see a mighty stag in the future that will taste the metal from your arrowhead."

Brigit half-smiled. "I appreciate the compliment on my craft, Flidais."

"The goddess of the hunt and of wild beasts," Bridget whispered to herself.

Brigit continued, "If there is one thing I can take credit for being greatly skilled at would be my talents in the forge. Anything from the simplest of metals I can make into a shield or sword."

Flidais nodded, her blue eyes shimmered in acknowledgement. She brushed some of her brown hair in place before saying, "Do not speak so humble my lady, it is not becoming of you. I know of this since some of my weapons come from both you and Goibhniu, though do not let this pray on the ears of Goibhniu but your craftsmanship isn't as rough and brash as his is." She laughed heartily and Brigit soon joined her.

"He was a god of the smith." Bridget remembered. "And if what they are saying is true then that means Brigit must be the goddess Brigid who is also the saint? Oh~ this is all so confusing." She placed her hands over her head and groaned. "What else could make this weirder?"

"I see your training has progressed," another voice spoke out. Bridget craned her head to see that a woman riding on a horse appeared not too far off from where Brigit and Flidais stood. The horse was black from head to hoof with brown eyes round and energetic. Another horse stood beside the other but with no rider. The woman riding the black horse dismounted gracefully and strode toward the armor clad woman in her much more formal attire.

The woman herself was dressed in the finest dress Bridget had only imagined on the Elven women she read from _The Lord of the Rings. _Her name was Galadriel if Bridget remembered correctly only this woman would have probably put the Elven queen to shame. Unlike elves that clearly age despite their long years of a vast lifespan this woman appeared to be timeless. Nothing hinted that this woman appeared older than her early thirties. Even appearing at that age the woman had a strong angular face that was held with a great force of strength. Her hair was a dark brown tied with a hair slide that kept most of it in place while a golden woven string held the hair near the bottom. Her eyes were a green that made emeralds wish they could turn into that exact color when they became envious. Her dress was a green deeper than her eyes with gold trimmings on the sleeves and dress' end. She carried a black staff in her hand that bared five golden knives that Bridget almost mistook for talons.

"_Those aren't talons right?" _Bridget bit her lower lip. _"Birds don't have solid gold talons…right?"_

"Good day to you, Aintín." Brigit bowed in respect toward the elder woman. Flidais flowed in suit.

"Aunt," Bridget said right before questioning herself for knowing what that even meant.

The woman arched an eyebrow in the most perfect way and stared down at the redheaded archer. "What do you mean? Do you wish me a good day or mean that it is a good day whether I want it to be or not or that you feel good this day or that it is a day to be good on?"

Brigit blinked a few times before answering calmly, "The first one, Aintín. Forgive me for not clarifying."

The woman curled her lips into a knowing smile. "Apology accepted. Though I do except nothing but perfection from you my niece. It is unbecoming for the descendants of the Great Mother if they fall into mediocrity." She placed both hands on the staff and asked openly. "Shall we begin your lessons or do you wish to continue this little game of yours here?"

Brigit removed the quiver from her back and handed it and the bows to Flidais. "I thank thee for allowing me the honor of what I have just partake in. For I now must be swift for my news lessons are nigh."

Flidais smiled knowingly at her while the glint in Brigit's eyes never left. She knew all well whenever the young woman spoke like this. To see Brigit to use such formalities in informal conversation was like finding teeth on a hen. It could not be done. She was indeed being a mischievous imp again like many times before. "I wish you a warm goodbye my pupil and bless the life that goes with you."

"Ah but did you allow for consent on that blessing my dear kin?" In a matter of seconds both women laughed heartily at the joke.

Aintín simply sighed before bade the girl to follow. While she did not look Brigit gave her archery friend a warm embrace before joining the older woman to the horses.

"Such a interesting family this one is." Bridget rested on the ground with her hand plopping under her chin.

"Brigit," Flidais called out gaining the attention of the young girl. "Tell your father I will not make the Gathering tonight for a fortnight from now I will be somewhither up north to protect the Sacred Elk. I was given a vision that it was to be slain by the most unpleasant of company." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Aintín fought back a sly grin. "So this would have nothing to do with that spurned lover back from Samhain?"

Flidais spoke nothing while she placed her equipment away into a large satchel.

"I will bear your message to my father, Flidais. Do not fret over it."

"I shall not." Flidais smiled. "And tell the Dagda that my blessing goes from you to him as well."

"The Dagda's her dad?" Bridget remembered reading that somewhere. "He was the Zeus of Ireland only cooler 'cause he had that awesome cauldron and a club that could kill a man and revive him if he wanted to."

Brigit smiled at the wry humor while Aintín looked slight aghast momentarily until she nicked her horse to move forward and Brigit soon followed. Right as the two began to ride past the menhir Bridget felt a pull at her stomach. She nearly fell on her face when the force grew strong. "Okay I guess I need to follow those two. Good luck for me when I have to run at the same speed of a horse."

Surprisingly Bridget did not have any troubles with matching the slow stride from two horses and met up with the two riders not too long after. Bridget knew then something was making things easy for her.

Aintín began to speak toward Brigit while the other redhead listened on.

"I must be honest with you, my niece, and state how your previous performance with the arrow was fairly adequate compared to most."

Bridget arched an eyebrow at the woman. Was that meant to be constructive criticism or an actual insult? Brigit seemed to have taken the first and nodded. "It was the thirtieth lesson since I began during mid-spring."

"Time that could've been spent on more elegant pursuits." Aintín claimed.

Brigit smiled cheerily toward the woman. "Spoken by the same woman who knows more about war than my father knows the pleasures for his stomach."

She meant well in good humor but Aintín hardly took the joke lightly. "Your father is the great king of our clan and shall be treated as such." When she noticed Brigit wincing Aintín took an inhalation of air sighed. "Still we have much more things to discuss over needed breath than trivial bantering."

"Of course, Aintín." Brigit nodded solemnly.

"Well this conversation will definitely need the mood back on track." Bridget spoke dryly and silently glad once more that not a soul in this world she was in could see or hear her. It was like what Jack said she wouldn't to go through with like he was forced to only here Bridget was forced to go tag along with her apparent long-lost twin for whatever the reason.

"We are the Children of Danu, my niece. We had lived in her haven long ago in four cities that were jeweled treasures of lands far from this one. Do you know what the cities were called?"

Falias, Gorias, Finias and M-Murias." Brigit answered though she struggled with the last word.

"That is indeed true. Due to our growing size and desire to make our own life, we migrated from our native homeland and found sanctuary here on this blessed isle."

"But it wasn't easy claiming it," Brigit chimed while holding the reins of her horse with newfound enthusiasm. "Another clan was already living on the Isle."

Aintín nodded, her gaze hardening. "Indeed. The Fir Bholg were not a force to take lightly and we were nearly driven out despite all the struggles we had faced. It was from the help of four treasures that we given to us by our homeland's druids that we became victorious. Do you know the names of the treasures that we had used during the battles against our adversaries? "

Bridget nodded alongside Brigit, knowing very well what they were. The redheaded descendant of Dagda recited accordingly, "The Spear of Lugh, the former All-Father's sword of Nuada, the great Stone of Fáil, and of course Father's Cauldron that makes the best vegetable soup I've ever tasted."

Aintín smiled and nodded approvingly. "Good to see that not all of your teachings have not gone to waste. With the power of those four treasures we, the Children of Danu, so to it the eventual defeat to our enemies and claimed this isle for our own. The land if you look around my niece was rightfully ours from the start. The Great Mother had blessed this land, as was the rest of the world. Everything you see around you was made by her hands. The babbling brook we passed to the deep forests they all are she as is the sky with the sun and stars. "

All around Bridget peered at every natural wonder before her and gaped in awe at seeing that this proud land with deep forests and fierce beasts prowling the lands would turn into the modern Ireland she would come to know. A small part of her felt sorry for the Tuatha Dé Danann, none of them would live to see what had happened to their once great land and the only who would be around was wanting to tear everything to the ground and call out the Apocalypse.

"_So maybe the end of the world is happening this year after all." _Bridget thought ruefully until Brigit brought her attention back.

"Even that glowing orb? Is it part of the Great Mother's grand design?" Brigit asked curiously.

"What orb, child?" Aintín pretended to sound interested.

"The one I saw appearing in the sky when I sleep. It looks so lonely with it glowing all by itself and nothing else like it in the sky. Is it a star that flew to close to the sky, Aintín?"

Aintín suppressed a sigh before turning her attention back to Brigit. "You claim to have see this orb in the night sky in your dreams."

Brigit nodded earnestly. "Could it be a possible omen of good fortune we shall be seeing shortly?"

"Child what you have claimed to see in your dreams are nothing more than that. It's best not to dwell on them."

"But you see into the future, do you not Aintín?" Brigit asked quickly almost like this vision of hers had been in her mind for some time. "This could be a sign that I might be a Seer too or perhaps-"

"Everyone gets plagued by dreams once or more in their lives," Aintín dismissed Brigit's claims with a wave of her hand. "It takes years and much training to know when you are truly a Seer for the Great Mother. There is no such thing as raw abilities that are simply thrust upon someone without a reason. I was given mine for the sake of my skills in battle. For if I do not know the outcome of a battle what use can I be outside of my daring sword and dagger throwing skills of course?" Aintín smiled rather proud.

Brigit shrugged her shoulders. "I can think of nothing, Aintín."

"Which is why you are my favorite niece." Aintín smiled sincerely to the girl.

"And you my favorite aintín, Macha."

Bridget furrowed her eyebrows in deep thought. "'Macha'? But wasn't that one of the triple names for the M-" She had no time to finish when another force of wind pulled around her and she felt herself being sent into another place.

* * *

"This is starting out as the weirdest fieldtrip ever." Bridget said before adding, "Though the one I had in 8th Grade in Wisconsin was a little trippy when that cow kept following me around-Holy COW!" Bridget jumped back several feet when she came face to face with a heifer.

"Oh man, this really **is **the weirdest fieldtrip I've ever done. When this is all over…screw it no matter what I plan it ends up not happening the way I want it to so I might as well just shut up."

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew Bridget's attention as she started to notice her surroundings a whole lot better. She was underground again with the walls floor and ceiling being made from stone. Torches adorned the walls along with more carvings that she could barely make out even with the torchlight. Large crowds of people surrounded Bridget as she noticed many of them drinking, laughing, dancing merrily, and many sort of other things she felt too young to have witnessed.

"_Jeez, how many health code violations have I just seen? 27, 32, oh great! Make that 36!" _Bridget breathed out in distress.

When one partygoer staggered toward her with a cup of some drink Bridget could not name in one hand and an sword in the other she was more than ready than to step aside for the gentleman until he walked right through her. She soon felt her heart pulsating through, trying to break free of her ribcage. Was that what Jack and the Guardians felt when nonbelievers walked through them? The feeling was very unpleasant with her body having felt weightless but forced to stay grounded to the earth. She placed a hand over her stomach in the same manner Jack always did after someone walked through him.

"_Now I know why he always does that…to make sure all of his insides were still inside." _Bridget sighed again while her head started to feel dizzy. She wasn't use to this type of boisterous crowd. The streets of Dublin and Wexford were a stroll down the park compared to this place.

Suddenly the noise of a loud horn came blowing in, silencing everyone and turning their attention toward one part of the large room. Bridget titled her head to where everyone else was staring at and widened her eyes slightly.

A raised dais or platform stood where the Dagda sat on a large stone throne carved to the rock. He wore a much more formal version of his usual attire with longer sleeves and a bear fur cape draping on his shoulders. A young man blew on the ram horn a second time before removing it from his lips. He stepped down from one of the dais' stoops and bowed toward the High King which everyone soon followed suit.

"_He looks even bigger than the last time I saw him." _Bridget gulped nervously. Even though she had seen him playing with his daughter she still felt a little intimidated by him.

The Dagda raised him for complete silence as he stood up from the throne. "My friends, brothers, and fellow kin, tonight we celebrate the annual Mid-Summer Eve Gathering!"

The large throngs of people cheered and the stomping of feet accompanying it. Bridget covered her ears from the noise. It was like being in a room with a hundred North's, only less clean. The Dagda raised his hand again immediately gaining their undivided attention. "We all have a reason to celebrate, for this is the 1500th year since we conquered this land from those Fir Bholg bastards!"

More cheering erupted from the crowd and continued through the Dagda's speech. Bridget attempted to weave her way through the crowd and ended up phasing through a familiar face.

"Oh hello, other me." Bridget stretched her mouth into a weak attempt of a smile. Brigit showed no signs of Bridget's presence though she already knew that and just wanted to feel like she had a reason to be in the underground palace…. It made her wonder if Jack acted like this when he was invisible too. She shook those depressing thoughts away and went back to trying to act cool. "Sure is some party huh? Your dad sure knows how to throw them?" Her attempts at making conversations were even weaker. Her face formed into a frown when she noticed something different about Brigit.

Unlike the happy energetic, eager eyed girl Bridget had seen outside horseback ridding this one looked so different. Brigit kept her gray eyes staring directly at her father not showing any jubilance like the rest of the clan. Her hair flew freely down her back with a hair slide sitting perfectly on the top. It shown with the emerald medallion resting on its center as the gold underneath the green gem shined in the fire's light. Bridget was starting to figure out that it was the symbol for the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Brigit looked very tired with bags under her eyes and a thin line etched over where her sunny smile usually was. She looked so different from the girl Bridget had seen earlier. She couldn't put her finger on it but something about the way Brigit was holding herself made her look older even though her face was still as the last time Bridget had seen it.

"_Immortality is weird like that I guess." _Bridget thought while she continued staring at Brigit. She still had trouble wrapping her head around that fact that she had this doppelganger-like person all this time. Or had a doppelganger since Brigit is long dead with the rest of the Tuatha Dé Danann….well most of them after Bridget remembered a certain somebody who wanted to destroy all humanity.

"This is not right." Brigit spoke under her breath. Bridget arched an eyebrow at her but said nothing. "He shouldn't be out in the open like this. I warned him that someone is coming."

Bridget wanted to ask shy until someone else beat her to the punch. Her voice was raspy sounding and prudent. "You do not need to fret over him like a worried wolf over her cub, Brigit." An old woman much shorter than Brigit stood near her with a bored expression. Her dress was a contrast to Brigit's warm green gown with stitched stones on the fabric while the girl's was a dark brown that pooled at the ground almost looking like dirt itself. Her hair was a shade darker with silver hair mixed in that was also hung freely but with no hair clips or any attachments to the flowing locks. Her green eyes stared at the Dagda with an expression that Bridget recognized Macha had when he was mentioned by Brigit times before. "He's a grown man he can handle anything that is thrown at him.

Brigit sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I am fully aware of that, Badb, he is not our king for nothing."

"Badb?" Bridget was taken back. "She, along with Macha, is the name of one of the three forms for the Morrígan." She slapped her forehead. "Why didn't I figure it out sooner? They almost sound the same for pity sake. I should really pay attention to this kind of stuff more."

"Then stop worrying over what will not happen," Badb commanded Brigit. "All the things you believe to occur are simply dreams and nothing more."

Brigit sighed and crossed her arms. "I am growing to dislike the lack of faith you keep indulging upon me."

"I am only saying what is best for you. You need to realize what is really there and what is not. All the time you spend these days is having your head in the clouds. You need to be more grounded and see what is happening around you. Those things you keep bringing up are not helpful in the least bit and only cause trouble for yourself and others with your little magic tricks."

Brigit insisted. "My visions haven't lied to me yet, and as for what I create that is none of your business."

"None of them have come true either, your visions I mean." Badb added. "And you most certainly are wrong to say that your magic is not my concern when the last time you casted something with your fire I lost-"

"LOOK OUT!" Brigit called out suddenly and ran to where the Dagda stood on the dais. Many shouts and cries were uttered around Bridget as she tried to stand up on her tippy-toes in order to see what was going on. She quickly remembered she could simply walk through the people and did just that.

"Now I **really **know how the Guardians feel." Bridget walked toward the platform and saw that Brigit had tackled her father to the ground.

The Dagda grunted, not from pain but more from annoyance than anything else. "Gettoff-get off of me!" Brigit quickly obliged to his demands but said, "I had no other choice, Father, there was an attempt on your life!"

Bridget heard Badb verbally groan behind her while collective mutterings were spoken.

The Dagda sighed exasperatedly. "Daughter, when has any of your so-called visions come true? Every time I or someone else step outside you go stark raving mad about a disaster about to fall, and yet that has not come true in the slightest."

Bridget was starting to feel sorry for 'other me' who was only trying to help her clan out. It was exactly like when Eamon doubted the voices coming to her head. Coch was probably starting to question her too. Bridget decided not to dwell on that and decided to observe Brigit some more.

Brigit bit her lower lip but kept her ground. She was use to the looks of disproval she seen others give her since her visions became more apparent over the centuries. It wasn't her fault kept getting them only that no one was willing to give her the chance to explain. They all love her metal works, poetry, and latest healing achievements why couldn't they learn to take her Seer gift seriously?

"But this time I am certain of what I had seen in my sleep has almost come true tonight. Someone threw a dagger right toward your head Father look!" She pointed toward the proof of an actual dagger digging halfway through the wall right behind the Dagda's head. His silver eyes melted in the deep raging red. He removed the dagger from the wall and howled when he noticed that the blade was made from one metal that was forbidden to be used by anyone in the clan.

"Iron." The Dagda stood in front of his entire clan and brandished the dagger. "This here is made from the damned metal iron! Seal all the doors and guard everyplace this failed assassin could try to pitifully escape from."

Gasps and calls of horror were afflicted between the Tuatha Dé Danann.

"How can this be?"

"Who would do such a thing?"

"Perhaps those rumored short-lived ones are striking again?"

"No such thing! Beings who live less than a hundred years don't exist!"

"Quiet!" The Dagda shouted, his voice calling out into the heavens and back again. Despite the stricken looks everyone exchanged to each other he looked at them all with a stern expression. "Have you all gone soft from our small time of peace? Were we not the same people who came to this land on flying ships from our old cities not at knowing what this world would be for us? Did we not defeat those who had originally claimed this land as there's when it was meant for us by the Great Mother? We do not cower at the thing that makes us weak we fight 'till the last bod' falls to the ground. Who ever thought they could get away with this will be punished at once. We are the Children of Danu and no one can tell us different. So if anyone thinks they can challenge our strength has another thing coming!"

"My lord," a voice called out through the crowd. People were pushed aside and parted like the Red Sea while a strong burly man half-dragged someone that was concealed in a cloak. "I found this person trying to claw through one of the closed doors."

The Dagda chuckled darkly. "Let's have a look at the whelp that tried to do me in."

With one kick from the burly man the cloaked person spilled out of the dark blue fabric and slide out onto the steps. More gasps were uttered as one woman even screamed in horror. Bridget was having trouble with understanding the situation until the Dagda said, "Bres," in the most bitter of tones.

Brigit gasped in complete shock while Badb looked ready to be sick.

"He was the son of the Danu goddess Eri, and of Elatha, the king of the Fomorians." Bridget counted their names with her fingers. "The Fomorians were like the giants or trolls equivalent to the Tuatha Dé Danann."

"How dare you come here unannounced and in my company." The Dagda spat to the ground, some of the phlegm landing on Bres' face. A face that Bridget thought wasn't all that bad looking. She read about the Fomorians a lot in BCC when she read the exploits of the Tuatha Dé Danann and their many battles with enemies. From what she remembered reading about Bres was that he was the king for the Danann after the first king Nuada lost his arm and could no longer be king due to the disfigurement. Sadly getting someone younger and more cunning to rule was not the best thing since Bres turned out to be a tyrant and oppressed the Children of Danu. It was only until Nuada got an artificial silver hand made by Dian Cécht that Bres was booted out from power and became banished sometime later. There was something else Bridget was trying to remember that she couldn't recollect quick enough.

"After allowing you to live by the hand of my forefather you have the pretentious notion of coming here to have me slain in my own hall."

"The hall that was once mine." Bres spoke in an embittered voice.

"You had your chance as our king and you abused that power like a spoiled brat."

"I called it retribution for the treatment your kin gave to my mother and me after she was impregnated with me in her womb by that man you dare measure me up to as my father."

Brigit looked at her own father with worry as she gazed back and forth from the Dagda and Bres. His narrowed brown eyes peered at her momentarily before his frown turned into a jeering sneer. Brigit quickly adverted her eyes moments later. The Dagda kicked him in the stomach for staring at his daughter.

"Wow," Bridget drew out. "And all this time I thought the Tudors were a mixed-up family."

* * *

**Q-A: **Am I a terrible person or what? DX To end it again in a sort of cliffhanger must be annoying you guys a lot. But hey I was right about some questions being answered even though there's someone who is either pretty dense or in denial about her destiny *Cough* Bridget! *Cough*

As for the question Brigit's Aunt asked her right after her reveal well that wasn't me I'm afraid. I had to put that quote from _The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey_ movie since I saw it a week ago and that line was hilarious I just had to put something like that in there. XD

Much of the information I hold from the Tuatha Dé Danann mostly comes from the site called _Timeless-myths-com _(there's no space between the words be the way), _moville-inis-howen-com _(same with this one)_._ Along with finding most of the archaic words just by going on Google. :D Aren't I such a bright person? XD And thanks for everyone with my story almost reaching 160 reviews! :D I'm so proud of you guys!

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


	33. Further Into the Past

**Q-A: **For those who feel upset of the lack of the Guardians I want you to know I feel your pain. I LOVE those guys as much as the next but if we're going to know everything about Bridget's past we need to get on with learning everything about it. Next time I write a story with the Guardians in it they will have more screen time I promise. Though on the other hand the climax in this story will have plenty of Guardian goodness in it too. So win-win I guess. :D

**Disclaimer: **I own none of the characters. Bridget is mine and her story is a fabrication of my own thought process. I don't pretend that I am a mythology expert on the Tuatha Dé Danann so if anything is not exactly how it was 'written out' I apologize in advance.

* * *

_~Further Into the Past~_

"This is so insane." Bridget was on the verge of losing her mind. So many things were happening to her that she was ready to lose it. After the spectacle that happened in the stone hall she was transported into another location. For some reason nothing was starting yet so Bridget was able to have some time to her self. "How can any of this be possible? There's no way I'm actually some ancient Celt from 5000 years in the past, I'm just a regular girl….or as regular as a girl with firepowers, but there is nothing I have in common with Brigit. So she has red hair, gray eyes, and pale skin like m-me-eh," she stuttered. "Or that she has a thing with fire too and likes to tease and gets fairly along with people like I do and wants everyone be friends and not fight and-and." She covered her face in her hands. "Oh boy I'm in trouble."

Not too long after Bridget said those words she heard the sound of falling steps as two people started to walk briskly through the hall she was in.

"Of all the most inexplicable things I have ever laid witnessed to," the voice of Badb shouted.

"I only suggested what should be considered," Brigit spoke. The two of them were seen by Bridget as she watched them walking into a room. Thanks to the great and powerful pull she was forced to follow in. They were inside what appeared to be a bedchamber with a four-poster bed and everything. Brigit sat on the bed's edge, stroking the embroidered stitching on the quilt. Badb paced around the room while scowling. From the way she was moving Bridget guess Badb wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. Every time she opened her mouth she clamped it shut again and scowled some more.

"She doesn't look very happy," Bridget was respiring her role as Captain Obvious once more.

Eventually Badb seemed to recompose herself and stared at Brigit. Her green eyes pored into Brigit's gray ones with a deep feeling that made Bridget cringe. She did not like the disappointed look from creepy grandma that much.

"What happened back in the Great Hall is something that is inexcusable."

Brigit ceased fingering the golden thread and looked at Badb with the same fortitude. "What my father was planning to do was inexcusable."

"Planning to execute that traitor Bres is now considered taboo, is it?" Badb raised a wizened eyebrow.

"Killing him would cause our impasse with the Fomorians to break and war would strike out again." Brigit stood up, her small frame reaching the small level of her elder for once. "You always told me that fighting must be used as the last resort in warfare."

"If there no other options to take," Badb recited effortlessly. "Brigit, I am fully aware of this but do you recall the other part? The one that describes how there is no other option to take then the life must be removed. Bres has been nothing but a menace to our clan since the day he became High King. After he lost that title it was never the same. Letting him live will lead to disastrous consequences."

"Such as…" Brigit trailed off on purpose to hear what her elder had to say.

"The future is not etched out in stone like a carved menhir," Badb justified. "But from what I have seen in Bres' darkened heart is not something worth saving. He has nothing but vengeance and cruelty sewed into his mind."

"And whose fault is that exactly?" Brigit muttered under her breath. Badb arched an eyebrow at her again but did not respond to the mumble.

"The point being that Bres is a danger to us all. With him alive our way of existing will be threatened."

"Unless we show mercy and compassion." Brigit rose up. "Have we not been known in the past to be civil on and off the battlefield? We call ourselves the civilized race compared to the Fomorians and Fir Bolg, and yet we are willing to commit the same unfairness they have been known for?"

"I never knew you were so broadminded toward the Fomorians. Could this mean you wish to preach for everyone to have equality?"

Brigit frowned, her forehead creased. "Everyone should be treated with fairness. That has been the way for our people."

"Even our olden enemies?" Badb barked back. Her back unexpectedly straightened and her eyes glowed that familiar red Bridget had seen before. The elder pushed Brigit back toward her bedpost and sneered. "Should we show mercy to them when they made us flee our homeland? My kin and I lost everything through that ordeal, while you yourself was barely a babe."

Brigit breathed deeply but did not lose her ground. She stared at Badb square in the eye and not once lost her resolve. "We must show mercy because we have the capacity to show it. The brutes from the North did not show it to you, but when you and the rest of your generation defeated the Fir Bolg they were more than willing to humbly accept your rule. The Fomorians do not understand mercy yet because we have yet to show them this. My father listened to this not long ago when I told him and he concurred with my belief."

The expression on Badb's face was unreadable. "You…told the Dagda and he conceded with your ruling?"

Brigit nodded, her face-hardened. "Yes. I did so because I can. You are not the only woman in his life, Aintín. As his born kin I have a right to speak with him as the rest of the **clan** does." Bridget was having a feeling Brigit wasn't referring to all of the clan but one individual in particular.

Badb stared deeply into Brigit's eyes as her own were beginning to darken into their usual forest green. Her deep frown began to lean back into a thin line. Her cool poise had returned. "I see, well I am pleased that the Dagda chooses your opinion over the entire safety of the clan." Badb stood toward the bedroom door, ready to leave. Her hand was pressed on the doorframe until she turned back to look at Brigit. "To that kind of power is both a privilege and an honor. I expect you to use it wisely."

"To use the love and trust my father has given me will be something I would never abuse." Brigit said with upmost certainty. Bridget felt a sense of déjà vu within herself. She couldn't count the number of times she said that to someone about her friends.

Badb raised an eyebrow once more but remained quiet and walked out. Brigit continued keeping her stoic mien until the door was completely closed. Her eyes grew soft and she sighed unhappily. She collapsed on her bed and stuffed her face with a pillow. Bridget heard her cry a groan of frustration that melted into a mournful sigh. She gazed upon her counterpart with worry. Something was clearly troubling the other redhead.

Brigit removed the pillow from her face while staring blankly at the wall. "What has happened to the gentle Aintín I once knew? We were once so close when I was a child, do things need to change once you reach the ripe age of 734?" She sighed again before opening her palm to reveal a small flame forming in her hand. Moments later the flame transfigured into a fiery horse galloping around a nonexistent land all across the room.

Bridget widened her eyes in amazement. "Did she…did I really know to do that?" She chuckled breathlessly to herself as the shapes and colors around her began to fade.

* * *

Bridget appeared before a field filled with morning fog surrounding her. The only light that could be seen came from the creaking sunrise that struggled over the mountain line and the torches carried by Danu's children. Bridget inched forward to where they stand. A feeling of worry engrossed her. This couldn't be the infinite moment when the Dagda bawled upon Brigit and disowned her was it? Bridget wasn't sure if she could witness that scene again.

Much to Bridget's surprise and relief it turned out to be the moment when the Dagda was willing to let Bres leave the clan once more. Brigit was being honest when she said she convinced her father to letting Bres go.

"_Well at least he keeps his promises," _Bridget thought with slight disdain for the man.

"Bres, son of Elatha, you have been accused with the attempted assassination attempt on my life and you plead guilty." The Dagda narrowed his eyes dangerously low, the grip on his torch tightened. He took a breath in and breath out before continuing. "Because our clan is noble as we are just I shall allow you to live."

The collective gasps coming from the crowd. Bridget smiled ruefully. They must have thought their king had gone mad.

"Your mother was once a part of our kin. Eri chose her lot in with your kind but for the sake of her memory and the man you once were we shall let you live this time, Bres."

Bres hid the smirk playing on his features while lowering his head to the ground. A young and beautiful brunet-haired girl arched an eyebrow at the lowly man but spoke nothing. Her dress was bright and green as the grass when sunlight danced upon its emerald blades.

"_That must be the young girl form of the Morrígan." _Bridget thought while peering at the Dagda again.

Brigit stood by her father's side as he finished his poetic monologue. She was well aware that everyone would stand and listen to him speaking. Whether rain or shine they would stand by him and listen to the most beautiful of poems he would recite by heart. It was one of the few things she inherited from her father that she was truly honored of having. The eyes she possessed made her feel alienated from everyone's green or blue eyes. Her red hair was a color that seemingly matched her father's but was truly red with no traces or brown like her father. The other talent she had discovered having years ago felt more and more like a curse with each passing day.

The man kneeling before Brigit's father had black hair in the darkest color. She had seen a few of her clan with dark hair but never a shade that could rival that of a crow. She inwardly smiled. Bres looked more like a crow than her own aintín. It made her mind wonder why the short-lived ones would say that her aintín shared the appearance of one. For a mere second while the bindings around Bres were being removed Brigit and Bridget saw Bres quickly shift his eyes toward aforementioned girl. A brief smiled curled on his lips for a mere second before he was pushed away by tall guards.

"You are to leave this land again and never cross our territory. YOU WILL LIVE WITH YOUR KIND, BRES!" The Dagda shouted toward the sky with his club pointing toward the atmosphere and his cauldron bubbling. He stomped his foot to finalize his statement. "Begone with you!"

"Of course, Your Majesty." Bres bowed mockingly with a sneering smile plastered on his face. Most of the male clan members readied their weapons before the Dagda raised his arm, motioning them to stay where they were. With one jab from a guard Bres made his pace away from the Tuatha Dé Danann, not once looking back.

Ten minutes passed until the clan began to disperse right after the Dagda and return to what would be their daily chores and other duties needed to be done. Flidais walked over to where Brigit and the young girl was and inhaled a long sigh. "I thought that man would never leave." When she noticed Brigit not responding she smiled sympathetically and grinned. "I heard you set your room on fire last night with creating what, a boar?"

"A horse," Brigit responded automatically in monotone.

The young girl rolled her green eyes and flicked her brown hair. "At least try to sound proud." Her voice was young and fair, sounding much more gentle and smooth unlike the stronger tone Brigit had used when she was a child. "You did what you believed should happen and convinced your father to spare the Fomorians bastard child. You should be celebrating." The sarcasm levels on her were astounding.

Brigit sighed and shook her head. "I'm afraid to say your older self's words were correct, Morrígan. Before I went to sleep last night I had another vision."

"Did it have to do with the 'glowing orb' of yours?" Flidais asked with her fingers waving at the words 'glowing orb.' Bridget assumed that Brigit must have told more than Macha (or the Morrígan) about the mysterious orb.

Brigit shook her head again. "No, last night I saw Bres alive and well and saw in his hands a knot."

"A knot?" Morrígan stared peculiarly at the taller girl. "Are you certain of this?"

"When had any of my visions proven to be wrong?" Brigit countered.

Flidais frowned. "I hate to say none of them have. So far your accuracy is on par with the Dagda himself."

Brigit cringed ever so slightly. She clutched her russet colored gown in worry. "That is something else that worries me." When the other two looked at her quizzically she went into further detail. "Everyone in our clan gains all of their abilities at an early age of their development, correct?"

Morrígan nodded dutifully. Flidais shrugged, green acorns fell from her hair, and then landed to the ground creating tiny little sprouts.

"I only discovered having this power only when I was already past the age of development. I have already honed my powers for fire summoning but this ability to see beyond the Vail is… so startling."

"You didn't immediately learn the art of blacksmithing when you were young." Flidais pointed out minutes later. "Nor did you immediately know how to perform a proper midwifery unlike most of your elders do."

Morrígan snickered slightly while Brigit became green on her face. Bridget turned a similar shade as well.

"The point is Brigit, you need to cease your worries and understand that some abilities need to take time for them to arrive for someone and sometimes less for others."

Brigit shrugged in defeat, albeit reluctantly. "It makes me feel like a short-lived one than anything else because of it."

"Now you really are degrading yourself." Morrígan gave the redhead a gentle push toward an earthen pathway. "Go back to the Sídhe, you need rest from what had just transpired this morn."

"And not of you?"

Morrígan smiled. "We shall join you in the domain of sleep soon, dear niece, but we of the older generation have some things that need to be shared amongst ourselves."

Brigit tiredly rolled her eyes. "I can see when I am not wanted. Fair thee well, my fellow kin." She dramatically waved to them with a great flourish from her hand and walked down the path. For once Bridget was not feeling the pull to follow Brigit and felt her legs stiff up like bricks, making her stay where she was at. Bridget stood where she was at idly while Flidais and Badb exchanged serious looks.

"Quiet unexpected for her to be a Seer isn't it?" Flidais asked in a voice that wasn't the least bit surprised sounding.

Morrígan nodded solemnly. "I was physically this age when I learned of mine. It's not out of the question to say she inherited the gift from her father but it still leads to the question of why did it take this long for it to develop?"

"I certainly would not know the full extant of a Seer's abilities. I need to consult with another in order to know of the future."

"A few of our kin does need that, which is why the it is rare to see the gift passed down with it being such a rarity as it is." Morrígan stared at the raising sun with her eyes squinting to the brightness. "Seeing Brigit with this power is unsettling. If anyone else in her generation are born with these skills but discover them later on could mean other gifts might be in store."

Flidais eyed her clan member with suspicion. "You speak as though you see the new generation as a threat."

Morrígan showed no offence to the accusation and replied coolly, "Only to the old ways."

* * *

Once more Bridget was swept away from one memory into the next. Sunlight was blazing over the noon sky. Bridget squinted her eyes to adjust while she started to look at her surroundings. She realized that she was in a valley with several tents and mounds of earth could be seen. She made the assumption that some sort of festival was going on with people walking about in colorful clothing and the smell of cooked meats filled the air. Bridget could feel her mouth water slightly.

"_Hopefully the food I'm smelling is some kind of pork and not rabbit or bird." _Bridget thought wearily. Children giggled passed by her and a wolf cub followed suit. A wild boar the size of a pick-up truck carried several logs as Flidais led the large beast.

"This way, mighty friend, this way." Flidais motioned the boar to follow her unknowingly showing it a great view of its smaller kin being smoked over a roaring fire. Brown round eyes narrowed, a calm demeanor became one of aggression. Tusks flared, snorting growing into rampant squealing, and clopped hooves scrapped the ground as bystanders either scrambled away in fear or to retrieve weapons to defend themselves and others.

"Now, now, easy there," Flidais attempted to calm the wild pig. "Let us not make a scene here." The boar showed little signs of noticing the woman, as he was ready to shake off the shackles on strapped to his sides and prepared to attack any soul that would dare-

"Triath."

Both Child of Danu and wild pig peered toward the new voice. Bridget turned around to see that it was none other than Brigit. She had gone through a new change again from what Bridget had seen. While Flidais wore a light orange gown that blended well the autumn scenery around her Brigit was wearing a gown of white with beautiful embroidered orange, red, and brown imitating the shape of leaves ready to fall and flow in the breeze. She was no longer a young adolescent with her body and face having matured into that of a young woman. Bridget guessed that Brigit was roughly in her early twenties. She almost reminded Bridget of Tooth with her lithe form and innocent appearance.

"Head the words of Flidais, Triath." Brigit spoke in a soothing voice. Her eyes were soft and warm, showing no signs of ill intent or cruelty in them. "She is your friend as you are mine. "We feat upon on all living things that are of the earth my dear friend, we do so to survive. We feast on this day the most and a few others to honor a loved one that is no longer with us."

The King of the Swine snorted not as loudly as before and his eyes became less dilated. Brigit placed a gentle hand over the boar and stroked his fur. "She is now one in the Otherworld where she shall live an eternal life and be blessed for all time. Her soul is there while her body is here a part of the earth and your kind enjoy the nurturing offerings that are given from the earth." **(1) **

No longer was Triath full of anger or wrath as he became calm and collected just as he was before. He snorted softly and jerked his head toward the witnesses around him. Brigit laughed before turning her attention to them as well. "His Highness, Triath, wishes to apologize for his unsettling behavior earlier. He is now aware of the full situation and feels quite foolish for making a spectacle of himself."

The nervous tension quickly lessened as the first of the people began to laugh in relief and genuine amusement from the Swine King's apology. As swiftly as it had started the aggression ended while everyone resumed his or her recreational activities with either it being stitchery, preparing of the soon-to-be feast, or games younger generations played to pass the time. Bridget watched people create and carry many beautiful trinkets made from different types of wood, gold, plants, and cloth for what she assumed were the offerings that were meant to be laid out later on for later on.

Flidais sighed in relief once she directed the large boar toward a large table and unlatched the two large logs. Two men with axes cut away at the fallen trunks until they were each split in two and polished to perfection as long benches for the table.

"I must admit, dear little kin, you certainly know how to calm a beast." Flidais complimented toward Brigit.

Brigit bobbed her braided head toward the older woman. "It was the least I could do since you lead Triath out of the forest without my aid."

"I assume that the reason for your absence was for the upmost importance."

Brigit smiled. "Indeed. It seemed everyone was so looking forward to Lughnasadh today that even those not of our world yet were excited."

It didn't take too long for Flidais to understand what Brigit had implied. "Who was the **lucky **woman to bring new life to the world today?"

"A cousin of mine," Brigit answered casually. She waved her hand toward the opposite direction she came from toward a crowded tent. A few people parted to reveal a disheveled pale woman with platinum blond hair flowing freely while she held a small bundle in her arms. The woman's light green eyes shifted conveniently to where Brigit and Flidais were and smiled warmly at them both.

Flidais awed with a smile. "So it would seem Báine had finally brought her little one to the world at long last.** (2)** And you became the lucky midwife for that occasion. I do hope you did not faint like the time when Caer fell into labor."

Brigit frowned at the mentioning of that unfortunate event with her sister-in-law. "No one told me that she and my **dear** half-brother Aengus were still taking the guises of swans during that event thank you." She pointed her nose in the air in a very defiant manner.

Flidais laughed.

"If you haven't noticed but I have matured greatly since that day."

Flidais nodded. "I have, and so has everyone else…including the Dagda."

Brigit bit her lower lip. "I am not sure what he has plans for me but it hasn't been well when I told him of the Knot vision."

Flidais gaped in shock from hearing that. "You **told **him of that vision?"

Brigit's frown only deepened. "I had no other choice. My father needed to know."

With a roll of her eyes Flidais said, "I worry for you sometimes. Telling the Dagda of Bres' fate will contradict everything you preached about sparing him. Honestly, with all things considered, it would seem Fate itself was against you with these visions of yours."

Brigit sighed, adjusting her woolen cloak that draped around her shoulders. "So it would seem. It was all because of that night before Litha when I had seen my father being struck by the cursed dagger."

Flidais growled. "That is exactly why that bastard shouldn't have been allowed to live. Only our kind know that iron can kill us. Now Bres has the information and will use it to strike us down when we least expect it to."

"You almost sound as paranoid as Macha is these days." Brigit replied. "She spends most of my lessons with her raving about how this will all lead to the end."

"And it very much should. That day might as well be since so much has changed considerably." Flidais stared at the sky and glowered at the reflection of a certain circle. When Bridget looked up she was amazed to actually see the moon. From the rare moments when Brigit went to ceremonies or some other grand gathering that took place at night Bridget was able to clearly see stars shining in the sky but no moon along with them. She was certain those nights couldn't all just be evenings with a new moon. Something was obviously a miss. The sky before her now reminded her of the late afternoons back in the present. Oh how she longed for those familiar days.

"How can anyone be celebrating with that orb in the sky," Flidais spat at the ground, unintentionally creating a sprout forming in the ground. Brigit sighed and threw a seed that slowly became a tiny apple sprout. Bridget felt like fainting from all the strange coincidences occurring around her.

"It has done us no harm." Brigit reminded her exasperated friend. "I have seen Father looking quite relieve with the orb coming out almost every night now actually. If he is not feeling threatened by the orb then why should the rest of us?"

"Because it clearly means change." Flidais retorted. "Change of the world, change of the way we live, change of who could be ruling the throne."

The conversation was turning back toward Bres once more. Brigit sighed in understanding. "I too not wish to see someone else on the throne besides my father. Also having Bres near us will not be anything close to pleasant, but if you have seen the way my father looks with each night being illuminated by the orb's strange light you could understand it as well, Flidais."

The two of them were nearing the wooden stage where the Dagda and High Elders would commence the ceremony to being the celebratory feast. Flidais frowned once more while staring at the sky once more. Her expression was no longer full of anger but not of serenity either. It was neutral, like the mysterious orb in the sky that was neither blinding like the sun but not dark like the evening.

"You do realize that this means you truly have a gift you know?" Flidais spoke up finally.

Brigit nodded sullenly. "I am afraid what my father plans to speak with me after tonight might be involved with the vision I have seen." The meats and other delicacies were placed on the table while other finery was added along with heavy mead and wine to drink. Flidais took only the berry juice in a golden goblet and sipped once.

"I grow wary for you a second time today."

Brigit frowned while half-heartedly accepting a cup of mead and drank all of its contents in one solid swing.

"_What could be making her….me be so worried right now?" _Bridget thought in nervousness while the scenery around her became black again.

* * *

Bridget found herself in the dark again with the only light coming from the moon. The rest of the sky was cloudy and dark. A cold wind blew around in the air with bring a chill to Bridget as she shook violently along with the trees surrounding her. "Feels just like Halloween….or is it-"

"Come this way," the voice of the Dagda spoke softly as he lead someone through the forest. Bridget was on full alert while looking to see what was happening. She peered to see the Dagda leading Brigit as he carried a torch in one hand and clasped Brigit's hand in the other. On his back he clutched a woven sack carrying objects Bridget was unable to see as he hurried forward through the dark landscape.

"I would be happy to know why exactly have we left the festivities on Tara Hill? I was given the honor of burning the first bonfire." Brigit huffed slightly. From the torchlight Bridget noticed that Brigit was around the same age as before only her dress with pure red, most likely representing the red color from fire.

The Dagda faltered his step slightly but did not stop walking. "Celebrating Samhain **(3)** with your own generation and their offspring will have to wait my daughter. The real event is going to take place soon."

Something about the tone the Dagda used made Bridget feel a little nervous. _"Oh please let this not be the night." _She chanted over and over in her head.

Brigit eyed her father curiously. "For what exactly?"

"For something so secretive that no one else outside of Danu's first children knows entirely about."

Brigit clamped her mouth shut after hearing that. If it were something of that great importance it would be best for her not to speak. With the sound of bugs chirping and the occasional wolf howl. Bridget thought it was best to stay as close to the two Tuatha Dé Danann. _"Those weren't blood wolves…just real ones that may or may not come towards us." _

Bridget kept that sunny optimism as she kept in pace with the other two and they walked through the forest for sometime more. After at least a half hour Bridget started to notice something odd about the forest. All around the three trees began to mesh and clump together into remarkable shapes. Things began to blur and grow fuzzy. Bridget rubbed her eyes, thinking she was going blind again. Everything around her and the Dagda and Brigit melted into a darkened blur that soon faded away until it became clear again. The three of them were no longer inside a deep forest but near an open field with many large stone idols surrounding the perimeter.

"Mag Sleact." Brigit's tone grew fearful. "I always heard rumors but I never thought…

"The Plain of Adoration," Bridget translated…she cursed loudly. "How the hell do I know that one too?!"

The Dagda gave his daughter a pointed look but said nothing. "That is right. This place is a land of great suffering. Many a short-lived ones have committed what we a more civilized race would call unthinkable." His strong, stone-faced demeanor did not hide the terror in his silver moonlit eyes. "We are near the altar of the **Dark One**."

Bridget gulped nervously as her eyes shifted around to look at the horrors she was witnessing. Eleven stone idols could be seen damaged and broken semi-circle around the field. Her eyes fell upon one that looked as though it was slashed in half with its face askew, making it impossible for her to identify the image.

"I had never thought much of him I'm afraid." Brigit admitted hesitantly. Her eyes spoke a different story that only Bridget had noticed.

"You and your generation were not meant to know much of it, to be honest none of us wished for you to be aware of the Dark One." The Dagda looked at the ground painfully aware of it being pass the marker of where one stone idol was. After taking a deep breath the High King placed his foot over the ground quickly regretting it seconds later. Bridget saw the man fall down as if he was shocked and winced deeply from the pain. Brigit quickly went to his aid.

"Father, what is wrong?" The Dagda winced while Brigit lifted half of his weight up and he did the rest.

"Nothing," he gasped in a wheezed voice. His face was aghast and pale almost as though he had gained age. "T'was nothing but old battle wounds reopening, nothing more."

Brigit quickly ushered her father to sit down while she removed something from her belt. A tiny blue jug made from pottery clay was sealed at the top with wax until she used her fire to melt the beeswax away. "Honestly Father, what can you do without my aid sometimes."

"'Be falling on own at this hour." The Dagda chuckled only to wince seconds later in pain.

"Please be still, Father." Brigit titled the jug slightly to bring out water. "This comes from my well from where I make my place home, with some words it should heal your wounds." Her eyes narrowed as she began to sing in a ghostly chant that was very beguiling for Bridget to hear.

"_Healing Water, Sacred Flame  
To which I invoke my secret name.  
Bless these hands, the head, and heart.  
Source of healing, song, and art."_

"Song and art," Brigit repeated in a soft warble that came into the small but triumphant finale. The soft glow of blue, green, and red that radiated from the clear water faded, as did the weakened look coming from the Dagda.

"I heard that before," Bridget whispered to herself. Sal curled tightly in her coat pocket when she placed her hand in it. "Right after when Bríde and Bríg pushed me down that well." She barely heard it in the back of her head but after hearing the chant from Brigit just now did she remember the song again.

Brigit smiled softly at her father as she placed her empty jug away back to its holster-like attachment and stepped back for her father to move. Unlike his previous movements the Dagda had barely any struggles with standing and held his head up and cackled deeply in a large laugh. "Ha, that's what happens when something otherworldly dares attempt to strike the High King; he always comes back even stronger than before."

"Of course Father," Brigit did not have any instinct to correct her king since it was considered unusual behavior to do so in their clan. All of the Tuatha Dé Danann were great and perfect, claiming if one had made a mistake or called another to be weak was quite outlandish to say the lest.

With no hesitation this time around the Dagda lead Brigit through the field walking briskly almost like he was on an evening stroll. Brigit made sure to bless herself from the dark enchantment over the field so she would not fall pray to the dark magic implanted on it. Bridget on the other hand did not feel a thing when she placed a hesitant foot on the ground. She tapped at the dried grass and ashen dirt with hardly any fuss and wondered what made the Dagda go weak from it and made Brigit carried out heavy precautions for herself?

"Oh," Bridget widened her eyes. "So that's why."

Straight in front of the three was the large hill that looked like it was man-made. Spikes sprung up from the earth like raised hair on the back of a hidden neck that made Bridget wonder where the head was to the spiky haired neck when she looked at an idol with a missing head. She looked at the hill with nervousness when she realized that there was a deep stain on the top. The black stain seemed to have tainted the earth in such a way that made Bridget swallow down whatever empty contents her stomach did not have but wished to puke out.

"_Don't panic, Bridget. Everything is gonna be fine. Somewhere else is fine but not here." _

"Here is the place of great suffering, my daughter," the Dagda shouted. He removed his pack with little struggling and took out his club and even the stone cauldron. Brigit raised an eyebrow until she noticed that she and her father were not alone. Several hooded figures stood around at the hill with a few other objects Bridget had no trouble pointing out.

"The Spear of Lugh," was clutched in the hands of an unnamed being.

"The Sword of Nuada." Bridget saw another holding the blade pointing to the ground.

Bridget gaped while Brigit gasped. "The Stone of Fáil." There it was in all its glory, the Stone of Destiny. The rock that saw through a man's heart. The very stone that announced to all of Ireland when a new High King was chosen. Bridget was surprised to see that despite its name and great power the stone itself was rather small in size. Of course it was bigger than a simple skipping stone by a large amount but was no taller than Bridget was.

"Something cool better make that rock redeemable in my eyes in the next ten seconds or else I'll just tell the Guardians that it'll be waste of time to go get it." Bridget stated with heavy sarcasm.

The Dagda placed his cauldron down and walked over to the stone with a serious look on his face. With his right hand he placed his palm on the very top of the stone. Moments later and the stone began to shake on his hand and a great noise similar to that of a humpback whale resonated across the land. The glow of emerald green shot out from the rock and shined blindly into the sky.

"If we weren't already trying to keep this all a secret, we are running it now." The Dagda boomed with laughter. Bridget had felt the earth shake around her from that chuckle, she found it oddly amusing that someone could actually pull off a deeper chuckle than North could.

Bridget gaped at the rock and felt her jaw slacken. She pushed it back into place not too long after. "Okay~ the Stone of Fáil is no longer a fail."

"All of the Treasures are here and accounted for, Your Highness." A voice that carried the sword said directly to the Dagda. He smiled brightly. "Well done, Badb. You and the others have done their parts well."

"Badb? You are here?" Brigit smiled in familiarity once Badb removed her hood. Her air of power and authority held her old wrinkled face. "I am indeed here. Sadly the Great High King is not present with us so the honor of holding his sword has fallen to me."

"I on the other hand am honored to hold my own weapon." A voice Bridget did not recognized spoke. The being carrying the spear removed his hood to reveal a man with bronzed colored hair finely braided both on head and beard. He smiled warmly at Brigit. "I heard that you personally adverted a crisis on the anniversary of Tailtiu's passing day."

Brigit bowed her head in respect.

Badb cleared her throat. "We are here for important matters if I recall."

The Dagda nodded. "Yes. We must start with the preparations very soon."

"But what for?" Brigit asked with her head tilting.

Lugh gave his half-brother an incredulous look. "You did not tell her reasons for being here?"

The Dagda flushed a deep scarlet and frowned. "I was getting to that."

"Make it simple and quick to the point," Badb insisted. "Time is what little we have at the moment."

The Dagda turned toward his daughter and gave her a somber look. "There is much of our past that we do not speak of to the rest of our clan. Only a select few are allowed to know of this."

"The first generation only know of this," Brigit guessed correctly.

The Dagda nodded. "You were much too young to remember the day but when we arrived here, to this land I am afraid to admit none of us were expecting the great danger that had plagued this land for a time longer than most of us."

"A time lost to our memory, when the stars were not even truly formed yet this land was home to twelve brothers. They were the mightiest of their kind and no one could defeat them. For reasons we do not know and events not seen by our eyes, the brothers turned on one another. Some say it was because of their taste for blood, others say it was the flesh but nonetheless they feasted upon the other until only the eldest and strongest brother still stood."

Bridget heaved her empty stomach this time around until she felt her whole body was thrown out of her. She didn't understand at the time why she reacted to much toward that part of the story until later on Bridget realized that this was all literally building up since her journey started. All the tension, the fear, everything is being answered to her and she's afraid of what will come after it.

"With only the brother-less brother left the question that remained in his mind plagued his thoughts."

"And that was?" Brigit asked in which Bridget silently thanked her for doing so.

"'What more flesh could I taste?'" The Dagda answered in the darkest of tones. "For years the Dark One attacked this land hunting for more beings to feast upon. The Fir Borg that lived here tried to satisfy the Dark One with sacrifices of their sheep and other livestock."

"How can anyone satisfy the bloodlust for an obvious cannibal?" Bridget asked loudly with her arms crossed. She didn't know why but the tension in the air made her whole body shake. She blamed it on the hunch she had and felt annoyed that it wasn't being answered yet.

"But if the Dark One only feasted upon the flesh of men then how could sheep be able to suffice?" Brigit asked her father.

"Thanks, past self, if I don't decide whether getting a CAT scan after all this is in order or not I'll consider letting myself accepting this strange new reality." Bridget sighed.

"That would be correct, my niece," Badb stepped in to tell the tale. "No matter how much the Fir Borg promised the Dark One noting could sustain him like the flesh of men. He feasted and devoured through all until the High King, Nuada, came to his domain along with the rest of us. He sought the Dark One out in hopes of conquering the strange land we eventually called home.

"And you succeeded." Brigit said without difficulty. She exchanged glances with her elders. "Surely that is what happened, otherwise none of us would even be here."

Badb, Lugh, and the Dagda exchanged glances that were as stony as the great magic rock. The Dagda sighed tiredly before continuing. "The Dark One was not killed. Nothing could or can kill him."

Brigit face fell as her eyes widened in shock. "That cannot be. If the Dark One still lives-"

Lugh cut in. "Nuada was unable to kill the Dark One yes, but he did find a way to stop the creature once and for all."

"One of the simplest of tricks, yet the most brilliant because the Dark One was foolish enough to fall for it." Badb added. "Nuada had us all gather together in one grouping. Of course it was very difficult since we all came from four cities and different cultures. We all had our views and ideals but he brought us together with the promise of finding a resolve to defeat the Dark One."

"But what was the plan?"

"Maybe if you-me shut up long enough then we'll know." Bridget snapped at her…self?

"Please, let us continue." Badb said to Brigit who quickly held her tongue long after that. "The plan that Nuada came up with was simple in design but complex to actually carry out. First it was decided to that everyone was to dig a tunnel, but not an ordinary tunnel mind you. This tunnel was made to go deep into the ground. So far into the earth that the Dark One would fall into the great abyss of the Otherworld."

Bridget mouthed 'what the hell?' "That's one of the most ridiculous ideas I ever heard. It's so stupid that it **wouldn't **have worked. Seriously what is this Dark Ages…? Oh….right." She felt the urge to facepalm coming onto her. "I'm in a time era before the Dark Ages even had a time to start up. Doy, I'm thinking too much into this."

"The trap was set but we needed the bait to be taken. Nuada and some of the best warriors joined him to find the Dark One and lead him to the thinly covered hole." Badb exchanged looks with Lugh and the Dagda. "The three of us were part of that company and sought out the Dark One. Nuada drew out his sword, Lugh his spear, the Dagda his club, and I with my dagger."

Brigit paled slightly in remembrance of the time she failed to defeat her aintín in combat during a feast back in the Great Sídhe. Oh how she was goaded into fighting the much more experienced warrior with little concentration. Brigit needed to learn how to focus properly in battle after that. Macha had told her that she needed to keep focus during a battle; it would mean the difference between life and death.

"We baited the beast to follow us through with Nuada leading the whole way. Many hills and mountains were trekked until we arrived at this very spot that would turn into his tomb."

Bridget and Brigit looked down at their very feet and shivered uncontrollably. It all started to make sense with Bridget but she needed to be sure with one last piece still missing.

"But if you were successful at subduing the Dark One, you still needed to keep him sealed with a powerful spell."

"A spell that could only be sealed with power over the Dark One. Something that even the Fir Borg did not know about."

"His secret name." The Dagda said. "You are aware that when everyone is born, they are given a name that only they can find and look deep within themselves to find. You are aware of this Brigit are you not?"

Brigit nodded. "Yes. If you knew your secret name, the very thing that tells you who you truly are it can be your greatest strength."

"I am reminded of the Guardians centers for some reason." Bridget spoke with light sarcasm. Just how many more coincidences would she be coming across?

"But it would be when the person is at their most vulnerable state."

Badb nodded seriously. "Yes, for if someone were to learn of your secret name, they would have control over you and take out your very essence if they wished for it."

Bridget gulped in worry and slowly trying to figure out if she wanted to know what her secret name was or not. _"Hopefully it's not one of the triple goddess-Tuatha names or whatever." _

"And the Dark One was tricked into telling his name?" Brigit seemed to have forgotten about holding her tongue but so did everyone else since no one gave her reprimanded looks.

"Yes…and no." Lugh said. "Nuada was greater than any of us because he had learned to observe his opponents before striking. Of course many found this style of fighting quite unorthodox but it turned out quite useful for Nuada when he had learned the Dark One's name. Once he uttered the very words the Dark One became weakened and was thrown into the tunnel never to walk the no longer cursed lands again."

"Phew," Bridget sighed in relief. "Nice to finally here a happy ending for once."

"But it did not end there." Badb jabbed ruefully.

"Dammit!"

"What happened?" Brigit asked incredibly. "Did you not succeed in vanquishing the Dark One?"

"That is what we could never do." The Dagda spat to the cursed ground. "The Dark One could not be killed. He is of a race older than us. Even when we fought him in battle we could not lay a scratch on the beast."

"He did more damage to us." Lugh sighed. "If Nuada had lost his limb at that confrontation instead of a later battle it would certainly be a dark night."

The Dagda gave Lugh a dirty look before he resumed speaking. "The Dark One had a hide so thick that not even a blade made from the finest bronze could penetrate it. Not even my club could land a blow on that thick, slimy hide."

Bridget did not want a vivid description of the Dark One but she really had no say in the matter and could not speak out. "Stupid time-traveling, pensive-like magic mumbo jumbo." She muttered more under her breath while overlaying the Dagda's speech about how strong the Dark One was and how great the battle became. If she wanted a story of a detailed battle that felt like it never ended she would've finished reading her copy of Beowulf for English IV.

"If the beast is not dead then why has he not attempted to free himself out of the prison you made for him?" Brigit was starting to sound a bit skeptical about the story though Bridget couldn't really blame her.

"Why else do you think the four of us have gathered here?" Badb leveled the sword in her hands, peering over the glint the metal gave into the torchlight. With the moon covered by clouds at the moment it was hard for anything to be seen. "Every Samhain that occurs is exactly the same night when we had all sealed the Dark One away. It is both a blessing and a curse that we unwittingly picked that day."

"Because it is when the pathway between this world and the Otherworld are able to crossover." Brigit finished for Badb.

"That is correct." The Dagda declared, "It is the very reason the four of us came here with the Four Treasures. They were used to seal the Dark One underground and we have used them since that hollow day."

"But that was over 2000 years since we had arrived here." Brigit gasped in shock.

"And a thousand more if we continue preventing the end." Lugh stated as a matter of fact. He looked directly at Brigit as he announced, "That is why the Dagda has brought you here tonight. When Nuada finally fell from his wounds weeks ago we know something must be done."

"We needed another person to help us with keeping the seal secure." Badb clasped the sword with great importance.

"And that person is you." The Dagda placed a hand over Brigit's shoulder.

"Oh boy, this is where the whole responsibly goes overload." Bridget wiggled her fingers in the air for dramatic affect. As if on cue thunder and lightning shook the sky as the ground rumbled. "Whoa."

"We do not have much time." Badb shouted. "The seal must be made anew."

"But why? How can I be of help when there are more your generation that could be more help?"

"That's exactly what I asked him!"

The Dagda ignored the elderly woman and spoke to his daughter. "Child, your mother and I named you for the first gift we learned you were blessed with."

Brigit listened respectfully. She never heard the mentioning of her mother that often, especially from the Dagda himself. He wasn't the sort of man to look to the past that often, even it was a past lover, but when he mentioned one Brigit knew it meant something important.

"You were given the name after a flaming arrow. Not because of the flaming locks you so have upon your crown but because you bring us light child. When the sun goes down and the stars are not there you give us the blessing of light. A creature of darkness like the Dark One despises light, which is exactly why he only comes on this day; when the night is longer than the day."

"'When the night is longer than the day,'" Bridget repeated to herself as her hunch began to seem more and more real by the second. For one moment Bridget swore she could hear roaring deep within the ground as she almost saw cracks breaking from the earth.

"You child have a gift none of the first generation truly posses. You can and will fight along side us to keep this seal close. The torch of responsibility now falls onto you." With one hand he shoved the stone toward Brigit and placed it near her limbs. "You hold the destiny of all of us as does this stone. Be with us, Brigit, for the true festivities of the night are about to begin."

"Oh this will end well." Though she was being sarcastic in everyway of the word Bridget was silently hoping that what she said would actually come true. All over cracks broke from the ground as dark shadow-like tendrils started to break out and attach themselves to anything they could reach and take root. Bridget was once again relieved to not be from this world with none of the black inky ropes trying to latch on to her.

Brigit looked at the stone with little understanding but steadily placed a hand over it. Despite her lineage the stone did not illuminate for her. Only the true rightful king could touch the stone, as long as her father and his expected successors lived the stone would never glow for her. A dark morbid thought rushed through her mind for barely less than a moment and Brigit had the urge to remove her hand from the stone just from the pure shook she felt. The memory of her father's previous order rang in her head, preventing the girl to move from her spot. With newfound determination Brigit placed her hand, though with slight nervousness.

Storm clouds of various shapes and sizes formed over the air while lightning shot violently towards the ground. Bridget yelped in alarm from the bright lights and noise. She was still not use to the loud sounds that came from storms.

"_I really wish Jack was here." _Bridget whimpered.

"Keep your stance," Badb shouted. "Ready the formation."

"What formation?" Brigit asked through the harsh winds.

"To fight down the Dark One in case he attempts to escape." Lugh answered.

"_Why did he say that in the most casual way possible?" _Bridget thought worryingly.

The storm did not weaken in the least bit while the earth seemed to have joined in time with it. The loud roaring Bridget had heard earlier was so earsplitting that she almost fell to the ground while covering her ears. When she felt the ground cracking beneath her Bridget rolled out of the way right as it broke open and another tendril shot out.

"_Damn." _Bridget breathed out a sigh of relief.

She had sighed a little too soon.

* * *

If Brigit would live to be ten thousand years old (an age of living that was thought to be impossible in Children of Danu standards), she promised herself that nothing she'd witnessed would be as horrible as the sight before her. Right in the middle of where her father, aunt, and her uncle and or distant relative stood a large fracture on the earth began to splinter and spread open. Her gray eyes could already see blackness trying to pool out of the crack.

"_I must stay strong," _Brigit reminded herself. _"For my people's sake and for my own." _

Still, she was having trouble staying strong with this fierce monster trying to break out. It was practically near the gaping holes in the ground with the earth pulsating from underneath.

Brigit concentrated hard on the rock, squeezing it from believing it could do some good for her and the others.

How wrong was she.

* * *

Bridget watched the scene before her in an utter loss of words. Each individual was doing the best in their abilities to do what, she honestly had no idea, was happening. All she could figure out was that the Tuatha Dé Danann were trying to squeeze their faces the tightest while also looking like they were trying to jab their respected weapons into the ground. Things got even weirder when the weapons and cauldron was starting to glow a bluish color. They weren't exactly glowing but a color was radiating around the objects, it was almost as if the glow was coming from the people holding the weapons.

Bridget squinted her eyes and quickly smiled. They were making the weapons glow, not the other way around! It was like they were wrapping their aura or whatever around the objects while they in return spread it to the ground pressing it back together again. Bridget wanted to cheer. They had a chance! They might actually win after all. Soon Bridget's eyes trailed off to where Brigit was. There wasn't a glow coming from her or the stone. She looked like most her energy was greatly spent. Her eyes were sunken in; her hair was frizzed up in every direction, and beads of sweat fell down her face with a great velocity. Her chest rose and dropped down heavily with each passing second almost as though each breath was getting harder and harder to take in.

"She can't do it," Bridget gasped in realization.

Brigit struggled with keeping her hands in place, so much that they were starting to draw blood. Bridget swallowed any leftover bile left in her and tried very hard not to faint. It had been a long time since she felt so helpless, she wanted to do something but nothing could be done. All she could do was observe.

In less time it took for a bolt of lighting to strike the earth Brigit screamed in agonizing pain and fell to the ground with the stone soon joining her.

"Child," Badb shouted. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I apologize," Brigit wheezed. She attempted to push herself up but her strength had already left her. With not even a second wind in her Brigit fell to the ground once more.

Lugh started to strain in order to keep his strength up also. "We cannot seal the Dark One with only three of the treasures."

"We can and we shall," the Dagda promised. He grunted in slight pain as he continued muttering enchantments into the cauldron and pressed its three leggings down.

"You know that is not how the ritual works." Badb glared at the stubborn ruler. "The Four Treasures must all be present. Then the holders of each one must focus on sending out their spirit into the Treasures to keep the seal from breaking."

"That part turned out well," Lugh muttered sarcastically.

"-And the connection must be made in order for the seal to stay in the bond." Badb finished sayin in spite of Lugh.

Brigit groaned but showed no signs of getting up.

Lugh sighed. "She's weakened. This was all a mistake." The grip on his spear began to weaken.

"Don't speak such words, Lugh!" The Dagda strangled his words tiredly. His hands barely held onto the sides of the cauldron. "We must hang on!"

"There is much more that needs-to-to-be done!" Badb grunted immensely.

"_This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad!" _Bridget was just about ready to return to her old habit of biting her nails until….

The clouds in the sky suddenly began to part. Breaking through the clouds was the moon. Its size was great as was its light and it quickly made the moonbeams charge forward bravely. The moment one moonbeam touched the ground the Dark One's tendrils began to slither away. Like snakes the black lines recoiled away back into the cracks that they had so forcefully escaped from. Everywhere the ground was covered in a stream of light that chased all of the darkness away. The broken seal was no longer broken as each crack began to fill up on it and look as though it was no more.

Brigit winced from a moonbeam's light trickling over her face until she peered her eyes opened and welcomed in the glorious sight. Everywhere she looked the grass, rocks, trees, and air was bathed in beautiful moonlight. It was as though the whole land had been rained by silver and crystal. Early dewdrops on grass blades shimmered brilliantly from the glow. This sight was more magnificent than Brigit would have ever seen in her mind wonderings.

"How…." The Dagda was almost at a loss of words. "How is this all possible?"

"It's as though the Great Mother herself is aiding us just like in the daylight."

"It comes from the orb in the sky, Lugh." Badb pointed toward the moon with a blank expression. Even with the apparent defeat of their greatest foe vanquished the collected and stoic woman found no reason to be celebrating. "This unworldly light was casted by that orb."

"How unusual." Lugh mused. He crossed his arms after letting go of his spear. "To think this object became the savior of this night."

"I knew the orb came here for a reason." The Dagda stated with upmost certainty. He stared at Brigit. "This young prophet of ours would have not just came up with this orb on a whim like most of her fire and water tricks."

Brigit shook her head, her face bearing a look of bewilderedness. "This is not of my doing. I could never conjure light in such a way…" She lowered her head to the ground. "Not even tonight did I do anything."

"This is a force from outside of our land." Badb did not stop staring at the moon. "This Orb in the Sky was brought here only a few months ago and has done nothing but arrive at night exactly when the sun leaves."

"Perhaps the Great Mother has taken a different form to aid us now." Lugh could not hide the hope in his tone. The dream of the Great Mother returning to them was never truly extinguished no matter how many years the Tuatha Dé Danann had waited.

The Dagda shook his head. "That idea would not true if they were seen at the same time. I had indeed seen the setting sun when the Orb also arrives. They are as different as the night is from day. Two different entities but one of the same; each of them bring us light."

"But what is its purpose?" Badb inquired. "How can something simply bring light and ask nothing in return? The sun was a gift from the Great Mother but this Orb in the Sky is nothing like the sun."

"It is different." The Dagda spoke wistfully. "And its power is great than any of us thought." He turned his attention back toward Brigit. "Well, it would seem that another prediction of yours has indeed come true for our benefit, child. Quit sniveling on the ground. A child of mine must always be strong and proud."

Brigit swallowed her modesty and slowly pushed herself up. "Yes, Father."

"The Orb in the Sky…what secrets do you hold?" Badb narrowed her eyes at the moon as if staring at it would reveal the truth.

"I believe that you have found your new task, Badb." The Dagda chuckled.

Badb arched an eyebrow and spoke nothing. "So it would seem. Learning more about this orb will take time to discover its hidden meaning."

"We'll let you to it then." Lugh said with a smile.

"Come now, if we make haste we should arrive to the feast before it ends." The Dagda laughed as they walked down the hill. Brigit never took her eyes off the moon while the four of them traversed through the wood.

"Something brought you to our world, Orb in the Sky. Something that I could not see brought you to our world. You must be something that will be life changing. Nearly all of my visions have seen life-changing events. The power you possess is nothing I have ever seen." Brigit spoke in a quite voice. "How did you defeat Crom so easily?"

Bridget watched the troupe with a knowing frown on her face. "So it is him. The bloodthirsty god of weather and fertility, Crom Cruach." The last god she had read about, but the first to give her many sleepless nights.

* * *

The scene changed again with Bridget back inside the great underground hall. It was crowded like before only she heard no noises coming from the people around her. None of them showed any merriment or laughter in their voices. None of them even spoke a word. They all looked sullen and forlorn almost as though they were present at a funeral.

"Boy I hope someone didn't die or anything." Bridget said with a hint of twisted humor.

"My people." The Dagda shouted. "My brothers, sisters, my kin. We all come here to this day to honor the…. Welcoming return of our lost flesh and blood, Bres, King of the Fomorians."

Bridget widened her eyes in absolute horror. She started to look around and started to notice that most of the audience wasn't fully human. Some of the spectators had limbs missing or eyes, ears, or even their heads that were replaced with the ones of goats. Bridget was starting to understand easily as to why Bres was known as the Beautiful in some translations. He was the only one that looked human. "Oh no…this can't be happening. If everything else happened differently, then this part of the story can't really-"

"For centuries our enemy was thought to be these…the Fomorians. But in truth it have become the short-lived ones that now call themselves the Milesians."

A collective shiver came around the Tuatha Dé Danann. Bridget swallowed the thick lump in her throat. _"They were the ancestors to the Gaels. They were the first humans to settle down in Ireland." _The pang she felt from when Coch first mentioned them back in the Welsh coast came back to the redhead. The pang was so small back then that she barely noticed it there, but she remembered it now.

She heard a cough hiding a curse from none other than Macha. The woman was almost flawless in her form today with Bridget noticing the tiniest hint of wrinkles lining around her face. It was almost unsettling for Bridget to see. The woman looked as though she had came from a battle. Her eyes were worn out and red around the green irises. It was a sickening sight to look at.

"These shot-lived ones are formidable opponents." The Dagda admitted with a bitter tone. "They have been a greater force to fight than we realized. They are like the stars; they keep coming and growing in numbers. There is a great danger we all face with these beings. Our numbers have grown smaller with each passing battle. The only chance we have to fighting them is to…." He struggled, almost as if the words were impossible to speak. "To unite our forces."

Bridget heard no outcries or aggressions of any kind. Not even one burst of yelling was uttered. She was really starting to wonder if this was a funeral after all with the way everyone looked, except the Fomorians they actually had small grins on their faces. Bridget had the urge to punch their shoulders really hard but could do no such thing since she was nothing more than an observer.

"King Bres has offered the chance to form an alliance with us. Not only to fight against the same enemy we now apparently have but to end the hostility between our clans."

"_This is it," _Bridget frowned. _"One of the few stories I actually remember about Brigit…or me…the day when it all began and ended."_

"For it is to my honor to….announce the union between King Bres…." The Dagda looked so weary that Bridget almost mistook it for sadness. "And my daughter, Brigit."

There was a long pause that Bridget assumed was meant for applause though it never came. At the corner of her eye she saw Brigit coming out of a stone-carved corridor. Her appearance was vastly different than the last time Bridget had seen her.

Brigit wore a white gown with blue trimming. Around the waist was a golden belt with the familiar emerald centered as the buckle. The gown's fabric met up with her pale throat with the intention of showing almost no skin. Her eyes were blue in the deepest opal that held no shine in the torchlight. Her hair was woven gold that flow freely though it had a silver hair slide that held one curled braid in place.

The Dagda coughed. "My daughter, **Bríde**, will marry King Bres."

"_Bríde," _Bridget thought. _"So that's where the whole other half things comes into play. Probably where the Celts got the idea for triple goddess. Though the Morrígan is an obvious example too." _She caught the look on Bríde very easily. Her expression was readable, but she didn't look sad. Her lips were tugged in a straight line while her eyes were half-lidded.

"In a fortnight the wedding will take place here in the Gathering Hall on the Eve of my daughter's birth. It will be a union to last as long as our new trust."

Bridget wanted to shout, cry, do anything to object to this. Not only was she upset with the fact the marriage would do little to help the alliance but she didn't want it to happen either way. It was as though an old emotion riled up inside her screaming that she did not want this. She did not want to marry such a cruel being that wanted nothing but revenge on her people. She wanted the liberty to choose her own path than anything else.

_"Congrats Other Me," _Bridget thought sarcastically. _"You're trying the knot with Bres...oh, so that's what that vision meant." _

Bridget really wished Jack were here.

* * *

Jack was not having the best day ever to say the least. Bridget was nowhere to be found and then right under all of the Guardians noses the Morrígan made an appearance once more. She wasn't over the whole stone incident yet with her face in a permanent scowl. All of her feathers appeared ruffled and her red eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty rage. She was not happy in the least bit.

"Where is she?" The Morrígan removed her previously casual tone and had replaced it with a more darkened one. Her right hand gleamed with the golden claws as she took a step forward. "Where has she fled?"

The Guardians all exchanged worried glances. She couldn't possibly be asking about Bridget, was she?

"You must be hiding the Fire Arrow around here." The Morrígan shifted her eyes to many different locations around the clearing in a very bird-like manner. The whole scene would've been funny if it weren't for the fact how terrified Jack was feeling. A part of him was relieved Bridget wasn't here, but the other half grew worried if she would get caught in the future.

North was the first to step up bravely and said, "Ve know nothing of this….'Fire Arrow' you speak of. Nor do ve have her here."

"_Always missing the obvious, North." _Jack fought back an eye-roll.

The Morrígan did not seem pleased with that answer as she wrinkled her face even more hideously than before. "That is not the answer I was looking for." With a small wave of her hand the sky began to grow dark. Jack and the others stood stupefied at the dark clouds covering early sunrise across the trees…wait clouds don't normally act like that.

"Crows," Bunny whispered and everyone else nodded in agreement.

One by one black crows swooped down and drew out their claws, slashing the small flakes of snow around them. Nightlight pulled out his spear in preparation. They looked like they would make beelines toward the Guardians but instead flew away in the last second and gathered near the Phantom Queen instead.

"I should at least thank you once again for bringing the Treasures, False Gods." The Morrígan bowed mockingly toward them.

"We would die first before letting you get to them." Tooth snapped venomously. Sandy gave the crazed woman a dangerous look of his own.

The Morrígan raised an eyebrow before smirking. "That can be arranged."

It was that moment that Jack was forever grateful Bridget was not there with him.

* * *

**Q-A: **D: Yeah I know, another story with barely the Guardians in it. And before you ask, no it's not over for Bridget's past/back-story thing either. But I SWEAR the next chapter will be the last one to show her past. All of the cool stuff that will explain the whole truth behind Bridget's purpose into being with the Guardians. Also my brain is practically fried right now so I can't write anything else for this chapter. But hey at least this means it'll take more time for the story to last. That's good right? *Sighing deeply* Well for me I guess it's okay even though I have less than a month until College. DX Why must fate be so unkind?!

Any-who, here are the references that were numbered in the story I thought you'd like to get a better head at.

**(1) **Lughnasadh – A Celtic holiday celebrated around the beginning of August (too late for you, it passed DX). It was in honor of the god Lugh who would celebrate a funeral feast for his foster-mother, Tailtiu. It is the celebration of the beginning of harvest season, the decline of summer to winter. It is a time of dismiss regrets, farewells, and preparation for winter

**(2) **Báine – meaning paleness; whiteness. And in case you're wondering, yes. Báine is supposed to be the mother of Aisling from _The Secret of Kells _(one of the most beautifully traditional animated films I have ever seen. It was another movie snubbed at the Oscars by the way, only it actually got nominated unlike our gem RotG.). Check out the independent Irish film on _Hulu _for free. :D It will be worth the watch, trust me.

**(3) **Samhain – the holiday we always associate with Halloween but was actually the Irish New Year. A celebration called the Feast of the Dead was made to honor the past clan souls. It celebrates the last harvest, the cycle of life and spirits passed. Ceremonies involve fire, lights, setting out food and gifts for passing spirits. All fires are extinguished and relit from the sacred bonfire. Stories are told around the fires, as there is not much to do outside except to carving turnips and dressing in wild getups, hence the pumpkin carving traditions and dressing up in costumes.

The song that Brigit chanted was abridged from the song _Holy Water, Sacred Flame _from what I guess is from the CD _Circle Round._

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'


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